Pentagon officials confirmed that deploying the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles would cost $134 million and would last 60 days during a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with Democratic lawmakers during testimony on the department’s budget requests. 

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A major point of contention came after President Donald Trump ordered another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, bringing the total number of deployed military forces to about 4,700 after 700 Marines were deployed earlier Monday.

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) challenged Hegseth over the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, alleging that the Defense Department had failed to provide them with food or water.

Hegseth pushed back forcefully against Aguilar’s line of questioning, labeling it a “disingenuous attack.” He insisted, “We are assured they’re housed, fed, [and have] water capabilities in real time from my office.” He made clear the deployment would remain in place for at least 60 days to “ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we’re not going anywhere.”

The deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles is expected to cost $134 million, according to Bryn MacDonnell, the Pentagon’s acting chief financial officer. She said most expenses stem from temporary duty travel, including lodging, transportation, and meals. 

Hegseth rejected claims that funds were being diverted from military housing or quality-of-life programs.

“The insinuation that we’re pulling money from housing and barracks in order to fund this is disingenuous and incorrect,” he said.

When Aguilar demanded to know the legal basis for the Trump administration’s decision to dispatch troops to Los Angeles, Hegseth sidestepped the question.

“If you’ve got millions of illegals, you don’t know where they’re coming from, they’re waving flags from foreign countries and assaulting police officers and law enforcement officers — that’s the problem,” he said. 

Hegseth also claimed that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) “has failed to protect his people.”

During the hearing, Hegseth described a shift in national security strategy, saying the country is entering a new “phase” where the National Guard will play an essential role in protecting the homeland.

“The National Guard is a huge component of how we see the future,” he said.

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In a separate hearing across the Capitol in the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, told the Senate Armed Services Committee the Marines “are there to protect federal property and federal officers,” and that “they do not have the ability to arrest.”

“They do have training on less-than-lethal means,” he added, noting that they would have shields and batons.

Mike Brest contributed to this report.