U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies before the House Armed Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appeared before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Dan Caine to provide testimony on the Pentagon’s hefty $1.5 trillion congressional budget request. The long and occasionally combative hearing marked the first