Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth
Republican · Minnesota
Former Fox News host and Army National Guard officer. Princeton graduate and combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Confirmed as Secretary of Defense January 2025, despite no prior senior government or military leadership experience.
Record
Strong advocate for a merit-based, politically conservative military culture. Eliminated DEI programs across the armed forces. Emphasizes warrior culture and combat readiness. Supports robust nuclear deterrence and Pacific strategy against China.
Legislative Record
Executive orders & directives
- 2026-14983 — Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Defense-Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Amendment (Department rule, Jul 24, 2026)
This rule amends DoD regulations to eliminate disparate-impact liability. These amendments align DoD's regulations with Title VI and current DoD policy, avoid constitutional concerns, and serve the public interest. By reducing regulatory burden, they also minimize compliance costs and ensure… - 2026-14368 — Privacy Act of 1974; Implementation (Department rule, Jul 16, 2026)
The Department of Defense (Department or DoD) is issuing a final rule to amend its regulations to exempt portions of DoD-0024, "Catch a Serial Offender (CATCH) Program Records," system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974. Specifically, the rule exempts portions of the CATCH… - 2026-11786 — Danger Zone; Waters of Carr Creek and Whitehall Bay in the Vicinity of the Naval Support Activity Annapolis (Department rule, Jun 11, 2026)
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is amending its regulations to establish three danger zones in the waters of Carr Creek and Whitehall Bay in the vicinity of the Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The danger zone in Carr Creek is necessary to enable safe operation of the United… - 2026-11505 — DoD Assistance to Non-Government, Entertainment-Oriented Media Productions (Department rule, Jun 9, 2026)
DoD is finalizing revisions to implement requirements of section 1257 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. This statute prohibits assistance to entertainment projects such as feature motion pictures, episodic television programs, documentaries, and computer-based games… - 2026-09038 — Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (DFARS Case 2024-D021) (Department rule, May 7, 2026)
DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. - 2026-04913 — Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2026-01; Small Entity Compliance Guide (Department rule, Mar 13, 2026)
This document is issued under the joint authority of OFPP, DoD, GSA, and NASA. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of the rule appearing in Federal Acquisition… - 2026-04912 — Federal Acquisition Regulation: Trade Agreements Thresholds (Department rule, Mar 13, 2026)
OFPP, DoD, GSA, and NASA (collectively referred to as the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, or FAR Council) are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to incorporate revised thresholds for application of the World Trade Organization Government Procurement… - 2026-04911 — Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2026-01; Introduction (Department rule, Mar 13, 2026)
This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by OFPP, DoD, GSA, and NASA (collectively referred to as the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2026-01. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG)…
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