The House Armed Services Committee Democrats are committed to providing oversight and funding for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Armed Forces, and portions of the Department of Energy under the leadership of Ranking Member Adam Smith.https://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.govhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mlvoek5mkc2oWe need to innovate at scale in a cost-effective way. It's unrealistic to ask for a 50-60% defense budget increase when our debt to GDP ratio is over 100% & we continue to cut taxes/revenue by trillions of dollars. It doesn't add up & is a NatSec threat. - @adamsmith.house.gov youtu.be/lJGjLY7wsgE https://youtu.be/lJGjLY7wsgE15 May 2026 15:44 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvoek5mkc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mltsl623lk2o“If there was one single line of inquiry in last weeks oversight hearings on the Iran War this was it from Rep Adam Smith. - Martin McSweeney, Truth Matters https://substack.com/@politicsusa46/note/c-253018574?r=a3j10&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action14 May 2026 21:53 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltsl623lk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mlth7cmt5c2eWe've seen U.S. Sailors & Marines perform at the highest level & progress in improving shipbuilding capacity & innovation. But challenges remain & we can't simply spend our way out of the remaining problems. - Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov at FY27 Navy Budget hearing. youtu.be/9OBFkqiCmhA https://youtu.be/9OBFkqiCmhA14 May 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlth7cmt5c2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mlrd2e2r2k2hWATCH: Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov grills Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Trump's disastrous and costly war of choice against Iran and the chaos unleashed at the Department of Defense by the Trump Admin's strategic incompetence and incoherent ambiguity. https://youtube.com/shorts/wR3dnD6IxM0?feature=share13 May 2026 22:10 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrd2e2r2k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mlembt7j4c2kWe're in a weaker position than we were before Trump started his war of choice against Iran and his conflicting and untrue claims make it hard to know where the war is going. - @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov on @npr.org https://youtu.be/hSQOdgUjeAw?si=zglCnoceTUsLBWB808 May 2026 20:51 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlembt7j4c2khttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mktc4zjeqc2mTrump pulling 5K U.S. troops from Germany is not grounded in coherent U.S. nat sec policy, strategy or analysis. It's counter to what is needed and will embolden Russia and is due to Trump's hurt feelings by Chancellor Merz’s statements criticizing his war against Iran. - RM @adamsmith.house.gov01 May 2026 23:34 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mktc4zjeqc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mksp4yimkc2w"NATO is a defensive alliance. ... Every country pledges to defend a country if attacked... on 9/11 that's what NATO did. If any one ... decides to unilaterally start a war... (assuming) everyone else is supposed to join, that's not the way it works." - @adamsmith.house.gov youtu.be/nNUSb7-mv2w https://youtu.be/nNUSb7-mv2w01 May 2026 17:54 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mksp4yimkc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mkqlxrvg4k27"We had to the start the war, you just said, 60 days ago because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. Now you're saying it was completely obliterated." - HASC RM @adamsmith.house.gov questions Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about his contradictory claims. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ob4CiKgZZds?feature=share30 Apr 2026 21:52 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqlxrvg4k27https://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mkqj4673jk27"If we are going to be this big, powerful force that throws our weight around the world, the world wants to know ... we're doing it for the right reasons & w/a sense of values to protect people, not to destroy entire civilizations." - HASC Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov to Secretary Hegseth30 Apr 2026 21:01 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqj4673jk27https://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mkq3mttmc22v"If we are going to be this big, powerful force that throws our weight around the world, the world wants to know, at a minimum, that we're doing it for the right reasons and with a sense of values to protect people, not to destroy entire civilizations." - Ranking Member @AdamSmith to Sec Hegseth.30 Apr 2026 17:00 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkq3mttmc22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mknydsbbzs2x"Our troops have preformed incredibly well in the past 15 months... the problem is the strategy that has been put before us. ... I've heard you give speeches about how realism is our strategy, and I find that absurd." - @adamsmith.house.gov to Secretary of Defense Hegseth youtu.be/2ZDoWe_54KI https://youtu.be/2ZDoWe_54KI29 Apr 2026 20:56 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mknydsbbzs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mknivxozys2qIt was good to finally get a number on the cost of Trump's war against Iran from DoD. Now we need to know what this number includes and, more importantly what it doesn't cover, like damaged or destroyed equipment and systems. https://youtube.com/shorts/ED5IaiaKoco?feature=share29 Apr 2026 16:19 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mknivxozys2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mkluhkjeqc2k"They keep saying we are ahead of schedule, we're meeting all of our objectives, and all they really mean by that is we're blowing a lot of stuff up. ... How does that move towards a strategic success? Because the goal of this war should not be just to blow stuff up." - HASC RM @adamsmith.house.gov29 Apr 2026 00:41 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkluhkjeqc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mk6cokwk7k22Military Personnel Subcommittee Democrats, led by Ranking Member @houlahan.house.gov, have called for the immediate rescheduling of a long-overdue oversight hearing on the Military Health System, which hasn't happened since 2019. Read their letter here. ⬇️23 Apr 2026 15:18 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6cokwk7k22https://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mk3tdmnbzc2pThe Indo-Pacific region is crucial to our NatSec & stability across the globe. Key to both is maintaining significant deterrence through the strength of our military & by working with allies & partners throughout the region. - RM @adamsmith.house.gov delivering opening remarks youtu.be/DiPNDB0TvzY https://youtu.be/DiPNDB0TvzY22 Apr 2026 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3tdmnbzc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mjs6emnf4s2w"It is incredibly frustrating to listen to the news media ... actually believe what Donald Trump says. How many times does he have to tell outrageous lies before we finally realize he doesn't tell the truth?" - @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov18 Apr 2026 19:29 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjs6emnf4s2whttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mjoyyblzvs2a"It shows what a lot of us said from the start: This was a very stupid decision to launch this war. Now, we just have to hope that the president figures out some way to get out of it and minimize the costs going forward." - HASC Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov on @cnn.com youtu.be/5M3RpBWTTjI https://youtu.be/5M3RpBWTTjI17 Apr 2026 13:15 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjoyyblzvs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mjn3b3kqkk2a"(Democrats) have been demanding, since this war started, a public hearing... . The answer ... from the majority was, 'we don't need to because we've got CENTCOM ... coming for a budget hearing.' ... That was never satisfactory... & now even that has been delayed a month." - RM @AdamSmith16 Apr 2026 18:50 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjn3b3kqkk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mjinrtojw22h“The devastating loss of 67 lives over the Potomac last year highlighted longstanding systemic failures in how civilian and military aircraft operate in shared airspace and was 100 percent preventable. ...15 Apr 2026 00:38 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjinrtojw22hhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mjhvcsemek2b“Congressional oversight is crucially important. We are six weeks into this conflict. And we still haven’t gotten a public briefing from anyone in the administration about the war.” HASC Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov speaking with @nytimes.com https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/world/middleeast/iran-war-pentagon-officials-testimony-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.a1A.WJkn.jWYvT_u37twC&smid=url-share14 Apr 2026 17:20 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhvcsemek2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3miyfx2hqgc2s“We face many NatSec challenges. As we look to this year & beyond, Congress must play a critical role in addressing these issues (and) reestablish its authority & responsibility as a co-equal branch of government." @adamsmith.house.gov lays out @democrats-armedservices.house.gov priorities.08 Apr 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3miyfx2hqgc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3miw4jqzgek2m"Further escalation would not put us any closer to accomplishing any sort of strategic objective... . This approach just is going to make a lot more people suffer in the Middle East and globally." - @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov youtu.be/JyFQhbDO6vg https://youtu.be/JyFQhbDO6vg07 Apr 2026 15:41 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3miw4jqzgek2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mitx3knoqk2o"Donald Trump's autocratic, arrogant approach to governing ... needs to be called out. ... We are trapped in a war with Iran ... Now we have to try to get the Strait of Hormuz open, which wasn't an issue before this war started. We pay for autocracy." - HASC Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov06 Apr 2026 18:59 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mitx3knoqk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/democrats-armedservices.house.gov/post/3mimlnkdzts2b"Secretary Hegseth’s latest baseless firings, this time of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George and other senior military officers, weaken our national security and national defense at a time when we can least afford it. " - @democrats-armedservices.house.gov Ranking Member @adamsmith.house.gov03 Apr 2026 20:45 +0000at://did:plc:ppbkdntug43mp6gorq32xcq2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mimlnkdzts2b