Republican frustration with the Pentagon, particularly its policy shop run by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, erupted into the open on Nov. 4 during a confirmation hearing for three DOD nominees, at least one of whom will be working under Colby. Throughout the hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee, senators from both parties aired their frustrations with what they described as Colby’s opaque decision-making, asserting that lawmakers were not kept abreast of key moves, like the recent announcement of withdrawing U.S. troops from Romania, reported Breaking Defense. But it was the Republicans’ comments, especially Armed Services Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), that stood out.
“Throughout this year, the committee has had a relatively positive relationship with the Pentagon, especially Secretary [Pete] Hegseth and Deputy Secretary [Steve] Feinberg. I’ve been disappointed to find one exception to that cordiality: Members and staff of this committee have struggled to receive information from the policy office and have not been able to consult in a meaningful way with the shop, either on the National Defense Strategy”or a review of the U.S. military’s global force posture, Wicker said in his opening remarks to the hearing. “This does not match our experience with the first Trump administration,” said Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who has largely avoided criticizing the Trump Pentagon until now. He then added, “the situation needs to improve if we are to craft the best defense policy.”
Colby has emerged as a lightning rod for criticism, reportedly driving decisions to pause aid to Ukraine and launching a review of the AUKUS trilateral security pact—moves that reportedly caught members of the administration by surprise, Breaking Defense further reports. More recently, the expected focus of the National Defense Strategy on homeland defense instead of conflict in the Pacific has led to grumblings among the China-hawk community he had previously championed.
Senators largely directed their displeasure at Austin Dahmer, the Trump administration’s nominee to serve as the Defense Department’s assistant secretary for strategy, plans and forces—a position whose title, lawmakers revealed, was changed without their awareness. Lawmakers’ discontent also comes amid a broader crackdown by the Pentagon on communications with Congress that was previously reported by Breaking Defense.
“The guy you’re going to go work for has been really bad on this, the worst in the administration,” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), said to Dahmer when discussing how Colby was difficult to reach. Dahmer’s current role, performing the duties of the deputy under secretary of defense for policy, and the new post he has been nominated for, both fall under Colby.
