The Office of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has disseminated a broad list of topics that Defense Department personnel are now required to seek prior approval on before engaging with Congress, which includes any and all “sensitive military operations” and US military strikes on suspected drug boats around Latin America, according to people familiar with the latest guidance.
The guidance was handed down following confusion over an initial memo issued by Hegseth that barred all Defense Department personnel, including military commanders, from talking to Congress or state lawmakers unless they have received prior approval from the agency’s office of legislative affairs.
The list of topics that now “require prior coordination” with Hegseth’s office before engaging with Congress includes:
Other topics include budget and reconciliation spending plans; critical minerals; Foreign Military Sales reform; AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; anomalous health incidents also known as “Havana Syndrome”; and Spectrum, which refers to the electromagnetic spectrum that underpins military operations and other key US government functions.
CNN has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.
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