Senator Murray Slams Secretary Hegseth for Playing Politics with America’s National Security
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s exchange with Secretary Hegseth***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for DOD. Senator Murray pressed Secretary Hegseth on firing skilled Navy shipbuilders, firing qualified and experienced military leaders, Trump’s recent comments to use “heavy force” on peaceful protesters, and his leaked Signal Chat.
In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:
“Secretary Hegseth—you oversee one of the largest and most important organizations on planet earth. More than anything, the Department of Defense needs stable, competent, and strategic leadership. And much as I had feared back in January, that is not what we’ve seen under your leadership.
“In a matter of months, you have lost top aides and reportedly struggled to hire new ones. You have fired highly respected top military officials. You shared highly-sensitive attack plans over Signal—and apparently with people in your own personal circles. And you have not taken responsibility for these mistakes.
“All the while, the security challenges we face have grown larger—not smaller. And in the face of these challenges, you have taken a series of actions that weaken our posture.
“For example: in my home state of Washington, which is home to many DOD installations critical to our Indo-Pacific strategy, you have pushed out almost 2,000 highly trained civilian, including at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
“Mr. Secretary, you talk about returning the Department to its mission of ‘warfighting.’ But I am repeatedly hearing that your policy and personnel changes at the Pentagon are only undermining–not strengthening–our military’s preparedness to protect our country.
“You are deploying the American military to police the American people. Sending the National Guard into California without the Governor’s request. Sending the Marines—not after foreign threats, but after American protesters.
“And now President Trump is promising ‘heavy force’ against peaceful protesters at his D.C. military parade. Those sorts of actions, and that sort of rhetoric from the President—should stop every one of us cold. Threatening to use our own troops—on our own citizens—at such scale is unprecedented, it is unconstitutional, and it is downright un-American.
“We should all be speaking out against this—and demanding accountability.
“Now Mr. Secretary, I have to say, for people who tout their commitment to transparency and efficiency, I have never seen an administration more hell-bent on hiding basic facts from the American people. Your Department has been unresponsive to Congressional inquiries and oversight requests. And all the while you are working to muzzle the free press, denying journalists’ access to the Pentagon.
“Now before I turn to my questions, let me also just note: it is now mid-June—and we only, just days ago, received some—but not all—important portions of your budget request.
“It should not have taken this long to get a request—and we still need to see the justifications, in order for this committee to do its work. We are missing those. Not having a full budget at this juncture is unacceptable.”
[CIVILIAN CUTS TO SHIPYARDS]
Senator Murray began her questioning by noting how the Trump administration’s staffing cuts and attacks on the civilian workforce are undermining key defense initiatives: “This administration has put the civilian workforce under attack from day one: encouraging resignations, firing probationary employees, instituting a hiring freeze, requiring OPM to approve any new hire one-by-one, and—new last week—requiring prospective employees to explain how they would, ‘help support the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities.’ We have spoken with military installations across our country. Almost all of them have been forced to fire skilled, civilian employees who are badly needed. And all of them also have hundreds—in some cases, thousands—of new hires ready to bring onboard but now have to have individually reviewed by OPM—apparently to ensure they ‘support the President’s priorities.’”
Senator Murray asked Secretary Hegseth, “Will you be firing more shipbuilders? Yes or no?”
Despite firing probationary employees at our shipyards, Secretary Hegseth falsely claimed no shipbuilders have been fired—and dodged Senator Murray’s question, instead arguing the Department is merely letting thousands go through its buyout program: “We haven’t fired shipbuilders. We’ve offered through a right-sizing of our civilian position, which everyone on this Committee would acknowledge the Defense Department has had a bloated bureaucracy for a long time. Have given a voluntary process by – which some people can choose to take a DRP [deferred resignation program].”
Senator Murray interjected to ask: “Mr. Secretary, do we need more or fewer shipbuilders?”
Secretary Hegseth dodged the question, instead claiming—after letting go more than 2000 civilian workers at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard alone—that: “We are investing historically in our shipbuilding industrial base and workforce and ships in this budget—more than anything the previous administration ever did.”
Senator Murray said, “Well you managed to fire highly skilled workers, including in my home state of Washington, for no reason, so let me just say: the Navy needs welders, not people who can recite the President’s Executive Orders.”
“If the Navy wants to hire a qualified candidate for the role—but that candidate happened to vote for or donate to Democrats—would they be hired?” Senator Murray asked, referred to the administration’s new, first-ever requirements that prospective employees explain how they would help support the President’s orders and policies.
Secretary Hegseth replied, “there’s never been a litmus test for hiring welders”—but did not respond to Senator Murray’s question about whether there would be a litmus test going forward—or how the new requirements will be effectuated.
Senator Murray responded: “That is what they are being asked. Mr. Secretary, I just have to say: we need to drop the politics in our military. We need to hire the best people—we do not need to force them out.”
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