U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is criticizing a reported decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to extend U.S. troop deployments in the Middle East into 2027, arguing that the administration has not provided a clear mission, strategy or exit plan.
The New York Democrat, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, issued the statement after The Wall Street Journal reported the planned extension. The underlying deployment decision and the claims in Gillibrand's statement were not independently detailed in the release.
Gillibrand said the conflict with Iran has cost tens of billions of dollars, wounded hundreds and killed 18 American service members. She also said it has depleted U.S. stocks of long-range missiles and air-defense interceptors and contributed to higher gasoline costs for New Yorkers.
“The immense sacrifice of our service members and their families is being betrayed by the failures of Secretary Hegseth and President Trump,” Gillibrand said. She called for troops to be brought home and for Hegseth to be replaced.
Gillibrand contrasted military spending with the financial strain she said families are experiencing from higher costs for gasoline, groceries and other essentials. Her statement characterized the administration's war planning as inconsistent and wasteful.
The senator also cited reports about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and criticism from service members' families. She accused the administration of responding dismissively to those concerns, though the release did not provide the reports or a response from the Defense Department.
Gillibrand pointed to a series of prior administration statements predicting a short conflict or saying it was nearing an end. She argued that the reported extension into 2027 contradicts those earlier assessments.
The release did not say when the extended deployments would end, how many personnel would be affected or whether Congress would take up legislation related to the decision.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.