Background

On 30 April 2026, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before SASC and formally argued for the first time before a congressional committee that the WPR 60-day clock is 'paused or stopped in a Ceasefire'. Senator Tim Kaine rejected the theory as unsupported by the statute. The hearing placed SASC as the formal record-holder for the administration's clock-pause legal theory — a theory the White House then extended the following day by asserting the US is 'not at war' with Iran.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-standing member of the committee, died on 11 July 2026 at his Washington DC residence, aged 71, of an aortic dissection. His death removes an influential voice on defence policy from the committee as it works through the Pentagon's FY2027 authorisation and the $54.6 billion Drone Dominance Gauntlet procurement request, at a moment when Republican Senate floor strength has fallen to 51-47.

Common Questions

What does the Senate Armed Services Committee do?

SASC is the Senate's permanent committee with authority over defence legislation, authorisations and the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

Who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2026?

Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) chairs SASC, with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) as ranking member.

How does SASC differ from HASC?

SASC is the Senate's counterpart to the House Armed Services Committee; both produce defence authorisation legislation but sit in different chambers.

What is the NDAA markup process?

The committee marks up the National Defense Authorization Act annually, a process it has run since 1961.

Will Congress approve the $54.6 billion DAWG drone request?

SASC's markup outcome on the Pentagon's $54.6 billion Drone Dominance Gauntlet request is scheduled for May to July 2026 and remains the primary legislative risk to the timeline.

Was Lindsey Graham a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee?

Yes. Graham was a long-standing SASC member until his death on 11 July 2026.

How the World Sees Them

Allied governments

SASC authorisation language on allied interoperability and Foreign Military Sales conditions directly shapes which autonomous-systems technologies US allies can procure and under what terms.

US defence industry

SASC markup decisions on DAWG, Pegasus Charge and Ironhorse Rebirth will determine whether new entrants like Anduril face full FAR competition or continue under the OTA structure that has favoured them.

United States (executive branch)

The Pentagon submitted the $54.6 billion DAWG request expecting SASC to apply incremental scrutiny; the committee's markup outcome is the primary legislative risk to DoD's autonomous-systems procurement timeline.