What to know
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are testifying before the House Armed Services Committee about the Pentagon’s record $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027.
- Members of Congress are expected to grill the two men about the costs of the Iran war, its economic fallout and the Trump administration’s strategy for winding down the conflict, which is in its ninth week.
- Democrats and some Republicans have shown interest in invoking the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires the president to seek congressional approval for an armed conflict lasting more than 60 days. The federal law provides for a 30-day withdrawal period, giving the Trump administration until June to pull out of the war.
- Oil and gas prices continue to rise amid stalled peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, with the average gas price per gallon in the U.S. hitting $4.23 this morning, up 42% since before the war began.