Costs, casualties and strategy dominate Capitol Hill showdown Last updated: April 30, 2026 | 13:24 Hegseth testifies before the House Armed Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. AFP WASHINGTON: Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth heads into a second day of intense questioning on Capitol Hill on Thursday , with senators poised to scrutinise his handling of the Iran war after a combative House hearing exposed deep divisions over cost, strategy and leadership. A day earlier, Hegseth sparred with Democrats — and at times Republicans — during a nearly six-hour session before the House Armed Services Committee, where lawmakers pressed him on the mounting financial and human toll of the conflict, now in a fragile ceasefire phase. The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing is expected to revisit those concerns while also focusing on the Trump administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027.…