Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Aaron Schwartz/Sipa/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Office of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has disseminated a broad list of topics that Defense Department personnel are now required to seek prior approval on before engaging with Congress, which includes any and all “sensitive military operations” and US military strikes on suspected drug boats around Latin America, according to people familiar with the latest guidance.

The guidance was handed down following confusion over an initial memo issued by Hegseth that barred all Defense Department personnel, including military commanders, from talking to Congress or state lawmakers unless they have rec

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