James LaPorta is a national security coordinating producer in CBS News' Washington bureau. He is a former U.S. Marine infantryman and veteran of the Afghanistan war. Washington — Defense Secretary ...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has largely banned military officials – including the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force – from speaking with Congress unless they ...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (Gregory Bull/AP) Leaders at the Pentagon have significantly ...

The Defense Department is significantly changing its policy of interacting with Congress, according to a new, five-page memo obtained by NBC News. The memo, whose authenticity was confirmed by a ...