US lawmakers are trying to pressure the Trump administration to release video of a controversial double-tap military strike by limiting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget.


The incident on 2 September, in which the US carried out a second deadly strike on a boat in the Caribbean, has raised fresh questions about the legality of Trump's campaign targeting alleged drug-carrying vessels.


A provision buried in a lengthy defence spending policy would restrict travel funds for Hegseth's office until the Pentagon hands over unedited footage. The bill is expected to pass with support from both parties.


US President Donald Trump says release of the video is something for Hegseth to decide.


Trump denied that he had previously said he would have no problem with the footage being made public - despite that comment being made on camera as recently as Wednesday.


The threat from Congress to withhold money from Hegseth's travel budget has emerged amid a clamour for information from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.


It is buried within a 3,000-page draft bill that is focused on approving next year's defence spending. The annual bill authorises nearly $901bn in funding (£687m).


The bill's final wording states that Hegseth's office may spend no more than three-quarters of the funds available for travel for the year 2026 until it meets certain requirements. These include an obligation to give the House and Senate armed services committees all unedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the United States Southern Command.


The wording nods to the way Trump has characterised his strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, describing them as targeting designated terrorist organizations.


In his comments to reporters on Monday, Trump stated that each of the alleged drug boats sunk had saved 25,000 American lives, claiming that drug trafficking to the US by sea has all but stopped. His administration justifies its actions by claiming it is engaged in a non-international armed conflict with the alleged traffickers, even though there has been no public evidence proving this assertion.


Experts have raised concerns about the legality of such strikes, noting that international laws of war obligate parties in armed conflict to assist wounded survivors rather than attacking them again.


In the second strike, which reportedly occurred while survivors clung to the wreckage, nine people died initially. The White House has defended its stance, stating that the second strike was ordered by a navy admiral and not by Hegseth.


Lawmakers, who were briefed last week by Admiral Frank Bradley and shown the video, emerged with differing opinions on the legality and morality of the strike.


While some members found the footage deeply troubling, others, like Republican Senator Tom Cotton, deemed the strikes necessary and lawful.


Trump has previously indicated a willingness to release the first strike video and continues to face questions about publicizing the second. Recently, he communicated fluctuating sentiments, giving mixed responses on whether the footage would be made available, further complicating the narrative surrounding the strikes.


As debates over military transparency and legality of actions escalate, Congress's actions reflect a growing bipartisan concern regarding the accountability of military operations.