Adam Smith

📞 (202) 225-8901

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Key Figures

The Defense Department Inspector General released report DODIG-2026-084 on May 15, 2026, finding the Pentagon gutted its civilian harm mitigation programs to a degree that may violate DoDI 3000.17, required by federal law under 10 USC 184. The Civilian Protection Center of Excellence lost nearly all personnel, CENTCOM's civilian harm team was cut from 10 staffers to one, and JSOC eliminated its civilian harm office entirely. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper told the Senate Armed Services Committee his command hasn't investigated civilian casualty reports in Iran.

In his first public defense of Operation Epic Fury, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth characterized opposition to the Iran war as "reckless, feckless and defeatist." The rhetorical attack came after the operation extended two months beyond Hegseth's initial four-to-five-week timeframe. Republicans largely avoided confrontation, while Democrats pressed Hegseth on war strategy, exit plans, and the firing of senior military leaders. (Reuters, Apr. 29, 2026)

Pentagon Acting Comptroller Jules Hurst III revealed that Operation Epic Fury against Iran has cost approximately $25 billion through late Apr. in landmark testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. The disclosure marked the first official Trump administration public cost estimate for the conflict. Hurst testified that munitions comprised the largest spending category, followed by operations and equipment replacement. (Reuters, Apr. 29, 2026)

Senators Jeff Merkley and Josh Hawley introduced bipartisan legislation in February 2026 combining a ban on large institutional investors buying single-family homes with a $5,000 annual per-home penalty on hedge funds that fail to divest existing portfolios over ten years. The legislation also imposed a 15 percent sale-price tax on hedge funds buying additional homes. The bills targeted institutional investors who had purchased over 500,000 single-family homes since 2012, raising rents and purchase prices.