U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has implemented a new policy requiring Department of War personnel to obtain prior approval before communicating with Congress on specific topics, leading to accusations of a lack of transparency and hindering communication. The policy has drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers who believe it creates barriers between the military and Congress.
by ANISSA REYES | The National News DeskU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a joint press conference with Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. sent out a list of topics that Department of War personnel are now required to receive prior approval on before engaging with and informing Congress on the matters.
include budget and reconciliation spending plans, critical minerals; Foreign Military sales reform; AUKUS, the security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States; abnormal health incidents, also known in the Department as “Havana Syndrome”; and Spectrum, which refers to the electromagnetic spectrum, a critical resource that supports military operations and essential functions across the US government. Republican Rep. Don Bacon said on Saturday that the new policy is “another amateur move” by Hegseth that resulted in military members being “afraid to communicate” with lawmakers. “I was a five-time commander & our leadership WANTED us to engage members of Congress,” Rep. Bacon wrote on X. “We wanted to share what our great airmen were doing. We were proud of our service. The new rules have put a large barrier between the military & Congress. Pentagon says the change is very small. But I already see the impact with military members being afraid to communicate. This is another amateur move.” This latest move by the Department of War comes as Congress has become increasingly frustrated with the lack of transparency from the Pentagon on US military operations such as cartel strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.with Hegseth and the Department of War after learning that the Trump administration had briefed Senate Republicans about the strikes on alleged narco-terrorists, leaving Democrats out of the conversation. Meanwhile, a bipartisan pair of senators called on Hegseth to hand over copies of the orders issued to strike boats in the Caribbean. On Friday, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed , released two letters they wrote to Hegseth over the last month, seeking transparency on the operations, both of which have not been answered, the lawmakers said.Hegseth, whose time as secretary has been surrounded by leaks, has taken steps to more tightly control information, including halting most engagements between Department of War personnel and reporters, think tanks, or other outsiders. This recent move is his latest attempt to further secure and control the flow of information.An 8-year-old girl was found safe and back with her family nearly 16 hours after she was reported missing on Halloween night.Officials from the Salt Lake CityNeighbors expressed shock after a Halloween celebration in West Valley City took a tragic turn when gunfire erupted.Police said a fight broke out at a house parOne suspect is in custody after police said they shot toward officers responding to a domestic violence call in a South Jordan neighborhood.Officials with the SPeople pulled their cars into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward parking lot in the Rose Park area for food from a mobile pantry, as federal jOne teenager is dead, and another is in critical condition after shots were fired at a party in West Valley City on Halloween night.Officials with the West Vall
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