Pentagon's Unannounced Policy Changes Spark Congressional Controversy
The Pentagon has sparked controversy with a series of unannounced changes to its policy office, leaving Congress in the dark. The shake-up, which took effect on October 8, 2025, includes a realignment of portfolios and a new list of restricted topics for congressional discussion. The Senate Armed Services Committee was only informed two days before the confirmation hearing for Jeffrey Dahmer, the nominee for the assistant secretary of defense position.
The changes include shifting oversight of AUKUS to another office, removing it from Dahmer's portfolio. The department also altered the title of the assistant secretary position from 'strategy, plans and forces' to 'strategy, plans and capabilities', without notifying the committee. Pentagon leaders have also barred DoD personnel from communicating with Congress without prior approval, citing a list of restricted topics that now includes the National Defense Strategy and budget plans.
Senators have criticized the lack of transparency, with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) expressing concern that the department's explanation of the changes as 'merely cosmetic' may not be accurate. Dahmer, however, stated that the duties and responsibilities of the position remain largely unchanged.
The unannounced changes have raised questions about the Pentagon's commitment to transparency and information sharing with Congress. The Senate Armed Services Committee will continue to scrutinize the changes and their potential impact on military strategy and budget planning.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
