A closed-door briefing given by Elbridge Colby, the third-ranking official in the US Department of Defense , on Thursday, sparked discontent among a number of senators from both parties, who said they left without clear answers regarding the national defense strategy of President Donald Trump’s administration and the ongoing war with Iran.
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The briefing was held before the Senate Armed Services Committee and was intended to focus on the national defense strategy, but the war with Iran overshadowed the discussion.
According to The Hill, Colby began the meeting by opening the floor directly to questions from council members without giving an opening statement, which surprised a number of committee members.
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer said the meeting had "far more questions than answers," describing Colby's absence of an opening statement as "very strange," especially since he was at the Capitol to provide a congressional-mandated update.
Republican Senator Joni Ernst said she was "very disappointed" with the briefing, adding that she did not stay to ask questions because she did not get clear answers.
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said that Iran was the main focus of the meeting, even though the briefing was scheduled to discuss the national defense strategy, adding that members of Congress left "with more questions than they had when they came in."
In contrast, Republican Senator Jim Banks offered a different assessment, saying that Colby was "detailed and constructive," that he did not shy away from any question, and that he provided substantive answers.
The briefing comes at a time when members of Congress are increasingly concerned about the cost of the war with Iran, which has entered its seventh month, amid uncertainty about when it will end.
On the same day, all members of the Senate Democratic Conference, with the exception of Senator John Fetterman, signed a letter demanding that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth provide details on the cost of the war.
Lawmakers demanded a breakdown of the costs incurred by the United States since the start of the war, how additional funding requests would be used, and how approximately $34 billion of remaining funds would be allocated under the "One Big Beautiful Bill" law.
The Defense Department informed Congress last month that the cost of the war had exceeded $42 billion, while the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the conflict could cost about $2 billion a month as long as it continues.
Trump had previously said the war would be resolved within weeks, but this month he announced it could last until the midterm elections in November.
In an interview with Axios on Thursday, Trump said he had a "big decision" to make regarding Iran, wondering whether he would choose to "take them out"—referring to the Iranian regime—or not.
Trump is scheduled to meet with the leaders of the six Gulf states on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings next week.
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