Members of the military sit for a meeting convened by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Quantico, Virginia, U.S., September 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Prominent Republican lawmakers are warning that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s newly announced restrictions on communication between the Pentagon and Congress will backfire, NBC News reported Wednesday. They are calling the move misguided and unworkable.
“It is ill-advised, and it’s not going to work,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told NBC News.
Cole, whose Oklahoma district includes major military installations such as Tinker Air Force Base and Fort Sill, said regular contact with defense officials is essential to congressional oversight and the smooth operation of the government.
“Do you think I’m not going to be able to talk to those command generals on a regular basis about things like the shutdown?” he asked.
“I don’t understand what they’re worried about.”
On Tuesday, it was reported that Hegseth outlined the policy in an October 15 memo, directing nearly all Defense Department employees to obtain permission from the Pentagon’s Office of Legislative Affairs before speaking with lawmakers or their staff.
The rule applies even to top military leaders, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and warns that “unauthorized engagements with Congress” could jeopardize department priorities.
According to NBC, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) scoffed at the idea that senior defense officials would need approval to talk to Congress.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” he said, per the report.
The Texas Republican emphasized that the Senate could push back through its power to confirm Pentagon nominees.
“We have Senate-confirmed nominees that I dare say [the Senate] would be reluctant to confirm if our access to accurate information from the Department of Defense was inhibited in any way.”
Republicans argued that restricting informal exchanges will only undermine trust between the Pentagon and Capitol Hill.
“There needs to be an easy relationship,” Cole said.