WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not request more than $137,000 in repairs and upgrades to military housing at Fort McNair that will become his official residence, according to a U.S. official familiar with the work order, who says the Army undertook the repairs on its own since the more than 100-year-old home had sat vacant for a year and needed security upgrades.
The cost of the repairs — including almost $50,000 being spent on new paint — came to light in a Jan. 30 notification to Congress from the Army.
The notification prompted calls for greater transparency by some Democratic lawmakers who sought answers on why the cost was necessary and whether Hegseth would reimburse the government through rental payments for the military-provided housing, as other senior executive service defense officials are required to do.
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The Army chose the home on Fort McNair for Hegseth based on what was available, and Hegseth didn’t seek the repairs, some of which are needed to bolster safety for the defense secretary, who is sixth in the line of succession, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss details of Hegseth’s housing and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Hegseth’s immediate predecessor, Lloyd Austin, elected to live in a private residence he purchased.
In a statement, the Army said it “performs routine maintenance and repairs to all residences between tenants to meet occupancy standards, regardless of rank and position. Historic homes typically have higher costs due to their size and the intricate details associated with the era they were constructed.”
The expense comes, however, as the Trump administration is slashing costs across government agencies. President Donald Trump has said he will ask Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to review the Pentagon’s spending.
It also comes as deteriorated military on-base housing worldwide continues to be an issue, with mold, lack of timely repairs and aged infrastructure often cutting into service members’ quality of life.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat who was among those seeking answers on the housing upgrades, said in a statement to AP that Hegseth “certainly should know what his preferred residence will cost our taxpayers. If he wants hardworking Americans to cover that expense, it’s rank hypocrisy. He and the president can’t preach to our families that they must go without vital funds and services, then not practice it themselves.”
“We look forward to the Secretary’s answers to all our housing and rental cost questions and welcome a firm commitment to help service members who live with mold and rodents to get the same, swift housing treatment that he did,” Wasserman Schultz said.
Fort McNair is the nation’s third-oldest Army installation. Its historic row of white-columned, three-story general officer quarters overlook the Washington Channel. The homes date back to 1902 and have been used over the years to house members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commanders.
It is less usual to have a member of the Cabinet reside in one, though former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo chose to live at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall during Trump’s first term, and his move there required similar security upgrades to that residence.
Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press. She was previously Pentagon bureau chief for Sightline Media Group.
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