Washington, D.C. – In a dramatic escalation of tensions between Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, lawmakers on Tuesday accused the Department of Defense of deliberately blocking access to Congress, citing new internal policies that severely limit direct interactions. The Pentagon strongly rejected the claims, calling the accusations “mischaracterizations” of its effort to streamline communications.
Under memos dated October 15 and 17, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg directed all senior military and civilian officials, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to obtain approval from the Pentagon’s legislative affairs office before they may speak with members of Congress or their staff. Previously, individual services had greater autonomy in briefing and engaging lawmakers.
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The reaction in Congress was immediate and pointed. During a heated Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers from both parties criticized the department’s refusal or inability to provide basic updates on policy and operations.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker lamented the change as a departure from the longstanding understanding that “Congress decides who Congress will talk to,” calling the new directions incompatible with proper oversight. The New Republic Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), meanwhile, described the department’s efforts as bordering on “treating Congress as an Article I afterthought,” following the delayed release of the National Defense Strategy.
One particularly pointed exchange involved Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who said the Pentagon’s top policy official, Under Secretary Elbridge Colby, had been “really bad on this… I can’t even get a response, and we’re on your team.”
While the department denies attempting to shut out lawmakers, critics argue that the new policy still leaves Congress with far less access to the military than in previous administrations. Some aides call the shift a “structural bottleneck” that risks hampering timely oversight and eroding trust.
The Pentagon maintains that the new policy does not restrict Congress from receiving information, but rather channels it through a central point of contact. Spokesperson Wilson asserted that Colby’s team had briefed lawmakers “dozens of times, in both classified and unclassified settings.”
The change comes amid a backdrop of broader instability at the Pentagon—including recent controversies over classified leaks and internal morale—and raises significant questions about accountability, transparency, and the balance of civil-military relations.
As lawmakers press for answers, the dust has barely settled. Whether Congress will accept this new communication channel—or demand its reversal—remains one of the most closely watched dynamics in national-defense governance.
