Ten Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemning his decision to defund and impede the civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR) program, a specialized initiative designed to reduce civilian casualties during U.S. military operations. The lawmakers described this move as a leadership failure that endangers service members and damages the military's moral standing.
The CHMR mission, housed within the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence established by Congress in 2022, has aimed to address the persistent issue of civilian harm in post-9/11 conflicts. However, according to current and former Defense Department staffers, the program was dismantled in the spring of 2025 amid U.S. operations in Yemen that reportedly resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. This dismantling aligned with Hegseth's "lethality" doctrine, which deprioritized civilian protection efforts.
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and other lawmakers cited a recent Defense Department inspector general report that characterized civilian protection efforts as largely "inactive." They also referenced investigative reporting by ProPublica and others in their call to preserve the CHMR framework.
The letter criticized the Trump administration's approach to military engagement overseas, stating that its "military adventurism," combined with disregard for civilian safety, fails to make Americans or service members safer.
Annie Shiel, U.S. director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict, emphasized the critical need for congressional support to sustain the CHMR mission, which currently hangs in the balance.
ProPublica's investigation included interviews with national security officials across party lines who described the removal of civilian protections as part of a broader military shift toward increased aggression and reduced accountability.
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