Pentagon Chief's Plan to Slash Senior Officer Ranks Meets Skepticism in Senate

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to reduce the number of admirals and generals by 20 percent has received a lukewarm reception from senators who focus on defense matters. A number of lawmakers indicated they have not yet seen the reasoning behind the proposal, while others preferred to discuss different topics.

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) told reporters that he wants to review the rationale in detail but has not received it. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) deflected questions about the cuts, stating that lawmakers are concentrating on current business. When approached for comment on Wednesday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) instead recited lines from Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem "Ulysses."

Hegseth publicly announced the plan on Wednesday during a 52-minute speech to active-duty officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He argued that the restructuring, which will impact senior leadership roles in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, is overdue.

"Now the media calls that a purge. I call it accountability and long overdue, and frankly, the bare minimum. As usual, what the media levels as an accusation, I wear as an accomplishment," Hegseth said. He added, "You see, you can't change a culture with the same people who enabled it. Personnel is policy at every single level."

The military branches have been instructed to carry out the cuts by January 1 of next year, though some positions will be downgraded rather than eliminated. This move follows a 10 percent reduction in general officers that Hegseth oversaw a year ago, and comes after he has already fired or forced out more than two dozen senior military officers since taking over the Pentagon—actions that have unsettled lawmakers from both parties.

Democrats have been more openly critical. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former CIA analyst, described the effort as a "purge" and said morale inside the department is poor. "And what I've been hearing from people inside the department is just how bad morale is. How many folks in uniform, extremely promising people, who are people of color or women just feel like there's no way they'll ever get ahead; that they'll always be perceived as a DEI case, no matter how fantastic a job they do," she told reporters.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said before the formal announcement that the cuts would "add further disruption and confusion to the military forces, and he offered no framework for his decision. It seemed to be arbitrary, and it's going to cause harm rather than help [the] military."

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said he learned about the cuts from news reports and has not been briefed by the Pentagon. "I don't know what his plan is," Rounds said.

Some Republicans offered measured support. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a former Navy radarman and ally of President Trump, said he had not seen the plan but generally believes most organizations have become top-heavy. He said the goal should be to ensure the military is efficient and does not waste money.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) criticized the approach as "very draconian" and said Hegseth has not come to Congress as required. "Second, he is putting political loyalty above merit in reducing the number of officers," Blumenthal said. "So there may be a need to reduce the number of officers, but there's no evidence that he's conducted any kind of systematic or intelligent or strategic oversight, either in the number or the specific individuals, beyond just personal discrimination." He added that Congress will push back, especially if Democrats win the majority.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), an Air Force veteran on the House Armed Services Committee, said that by cutting general officer positions, Hegseth "gets more sway in choosing who becomes a General – and the longer his influence holds." She called for a defense secretary who respects service members' careers and service.

Hegseth has also blocked dozens of promotions across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, drawing criticism from Democrats, some Republicans, and former defense officials. His allies maintain that he does not consider race or gender and that military leaders serve at the president's discretion.

In his speech, Hegseth said last year's address was not intended for generals but for the "backbone of our force, the current and future leaders on the front lines."

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