After persistent questioning from members of Congress on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who provided the amount it would cost to send the National Guard and Marines to immigration protests in Los Angeles.

She said the $134 million will come from operations and maintenance accounts.

“We stated very publicly that it’s 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth told members of the House appropriations defense subcommittee.

“The current cost estimate for the deployment is $134 million, which is largely just the cost of travel, housing and food,” said MacDonnell, special assistant to the secretary of defense who’s currently performing the duties of the Pentagon’s top financial officer.

Marine Corps General Says Battalion Is Ready, but Hasn’t Engaged

Gen. Eric Smith testified at a budget hearing before senators that those Marines are trained for crowd control and they would have shields and batons as their equipment. He said they have no arrest authority and are only there to protect federal property and federal personnel.

When asked by Sen. Richard Blumental, a Connecticut Democrat, about the danger Marines would use lethal force that could result in injuries and deaths, Smith said he had faith in them.

“I am not concerned. I have great faith in my Marines and their junior leaders and their more senior leaders to execute the lawful tasks that they are given.”

Thune Says ‘Federal Response’ Needed in LA

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Tuesday there were “clear failures on the part of state and local officials” in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and a “federal response” was necessary.

“I don’t know exactly the authorities that they are using,” Thune said, referring to the Marine deployment. “But obviously, there was a security situation out there that needed to be addressed. And I think ultimately the president’s objective is to keep people safe.”

California Congressmembers Accuse Trump of Inciting Unrest

Democratic members of California’s congressional delegation are accusing the president of creating a “manufactured crisis” in Los Angeles with his orders to send in thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines.

“It’s a deliberate attempt by Trump to incite unrest, test the limits of executive power and distract from the lawlessness of his administration,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who organized a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday morning.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta said Trump’s decision to send in the military was designed to “give him the image and give him the fight and give him the pictures that he wants.“

Rep. Nancy Pelosi contrasted Trump’s actions now with his handling of the Jan. 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when law enforcement officers were being beaten.

“We begged the president of the United States to send in the National Guard. He would not do it,” Pelosi said.