Congress is taking a strong stance regarding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget. They are holding back a portion until the Pentagon shares video footage of recent strikes on boats suspected of drug smuggling near Venezuela.
This measure is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, a significant defense policy bill that has passed annually for over 60 years. This year’s bill proposes about $901 billion for defense spending and is likely to gain bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Specifically, the bill will withhold 25% of Hegseth’s travel funds until congressional committees receive unedited videos related to strikes against terrorist outfits in the U.S. Southern Command area. The Pentagon is also expected to provide overdue reports, including insights gained from the Ukraine war.
A recent incident has ignited protests over the legality of these strikes. Two survivors from a boat strike on September 2 were reportedly killed in a following attack, raising serious legal concerns. Witnesses say they were waving for rescue before being hit again.
On Tuesday, Hegseth, alongside other top officials, will brief congressional leaders on the situation. Last week, a select number of lawmakers were shown a video related to the September incident during a private briefing, although this footage has not been publicly released, except for a brief clip shared by former President Trump.
Since early September, military operations have targeted over 20 drug boats, resulting in at least 87 deaths. While the Trump administration defends these strikes as lawful, critiques are growing. Some argue that targeting survivors can be classified as a war crime.
Former President Trump recently stated that he would be open to releasing the footage. “Whatever they have, we’ll certainly release, no problem,” he said, although he later downplayed this promise, suggesting he would defer to Hegseth’s discretion.
The ongoing discussion emphasizes the complex legal and ethical dilemmas faced by military operations today. As public scrutiny rises, lawmakers and officials must balance national security interests with accountability and transparency.
For more details about this situation, you can view the National Defense Authorization Act [here](https://rules.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/rules.house.gov/files/documents/rcp_xml-2.pdf) and read additional reporting on these military operations.
