Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Restricted Employee Communications with Congress

According to media reports, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued two guidance memos prohibiting Defense Department employees from communicating with Congress without prior approval. Neither memo appears to be public. Congress exercises oversight of the military through hearings, briefings, informal staff communications, and statutory reporting requirements. As such, some members of Congress expressed concern about the moves' interference with their oversight responsibilities. The first memo instructed all Pentagon personnel, except for the inspector general’s office, to seek approval before they communicate with congressional staff. A second memo, issued later, listed topics that required prior coordination before any congressional engagement. These reportedly included acquisitions, munitions, defense strategy, budget and spending plans, and the boat strikes that happened in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which had become a topic of congressional inquiry.