Members of Congress worry it's putting the troops at risk Published July 7, 2026 6:00AM (EDT) U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) This article originally appeared on ProPublica. Ten Democratic lawmakers told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a letter Sunday that his gutting of a program focused on protecting civilians is a leadership failure that imperils service members and erodes the military’s moral standing. Led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the joint letter echoed concerns raised by a recent Defense Department inspector general report that described civilian protection effor