Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before a Senate committee on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, amid recent escalations in the war with Iran.

The hearing focused on the Trump administration's supplemental funding request for $67 billion to cover war costs. This comes after at least two U.S. soldiers were killed in an Iranian attack on Friday, July 18, and another service member died in Iraq during a controlled explosion to destroy an Iranian drone. These deaths bring the total number of U.S. service members killed since the war began in February to 17.

Officials told CBS News that nearly 100 American service members have been injured in multiple Iranian strikes on bases across the Middle East this month. Meanwhile, the U.S. conducted its 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military infrastructure on Monday, July 20, following the collapse of a ceasefire between the two countries.

Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations committee, opened the hearing by honoring the service members who "made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our nation." She emphasized the necessity of addressing "must-pay bills and urgent requirements facing the department that affect the ability of our troops to be well-trained, and more broadly, of the U.S. military to deter and defend against potential aggressors worldwide."

Hegseth and Caine previously testified in May before House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees as the Pentagon sought $1.5 trillion in the fiscal year 2027 budget proposal. They last testified about the war shortly after delivering their most recent public briefing to the press.

The committee exhibits divergent views on the decision to use military force against Iran. Some senators expressed opposition to approving the supplemental funding, with one stating, "My colleagues and I cannot and will not support rubber-stamping a request to bankroll this war and whatever other misadventures Trump wants to get us into next." Another remarked, "The American people want to see a quick and strategic end to this war, not $70 billion of their tax dollars sent to keep it going."

Others stressed the importance of maintaining military readiness, saying, "We should not undermine the readiness of our service members for any engagement, or refuse to rebuild critical capabilities."

Sources