Amid the partial government shutdown, Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, has banned military officials from directly contacting Congress until they go through a centralized office that reports to him. This order applies to all military officials, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, declared the move on October 15. A memo obtained by USA Today reads, “Unauthorized engagements with Congress … may undermine Department-wide priorities.” The pair claimed that they intend to minimize the Pentagon’s messaging to Congress “to ensure consistency and support for the Department’s priorities.”
The memo also specifies that “all interactions with Congress or state elected officials” require central office approval. The central office will also oversee the Pentagon’s responses to essential matters, in particular reports and letters from lawmakers inquiring about policy matters, investigations, and casework.
‘He lost us:’ Generals, senior officers say trust in Pete Hegseth has evaporatedhttps://t.co/bhDN4QZn6J pic.twitter.com/W2V8GIbhpf
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 21, 2025
Notably, the office that is in charge of communication with Congress is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. The memo that captures Hegseth’s directory also references this office. However, this crackdown could disrupt the military’s transparency to the legislative branch.
Although Pete Hegseth’s instruction is dedicated to all military officials, some are exempted. Those who are legally mandated to have relationships with Congress would not need to follow this order. Some officials who are exempt are the agency’s inspector general, general counsel, and comptroller.
Meanwhile, it’s been 22 days since the government shutdown began. On Day 21, the Senate Republicans met with Donald Trump over lunch to discuss a united front to call for Democrats to vote to extend funding.
Hegseth’s move intends to helm in provincial infighting between the various military branches, all of which compete for Congressional funding every year. This is despite Trump’s White House trying to control the process.
Only recently, the Secretary of Defense moved to defund the Navy’s future stealth fighter jet. However, the Navy successfully lobbied Congress to save the program, as reported by Reuters. This led Hegseth to reportedly approve the Navy’s new jet this month.
