Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said some members of Congress, especially Democrats, are the biggest impediment to preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

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"The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans," he said in his opening remarks in Wednesday's budget hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.

WATCH LIVE: Hegseth, Caine testify for the 1st time since start of Iran war in House hearing

"We are proud of this undertaking," Hegseth said, after praising President Donald Trump for his "ironclad" desire to not let Iran have a nuclear weapon.

Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were invited to testify on Trump's 2027 budget request to increase defense spending to $1.5 trillion – the largest proposed amount in decades.

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The House hearing gave lawmakers a chance to question the defense leaders for the first time since the start of the war on Iran, which the U.S. and Israel launched at the end of February. While Hegseth has touted the Iran war as "a gift to the world," polls have found that a majority of Americans disapprove of the conflict and the Trump administration's handling of it.