Senator Adam Schiff demands Pete Hegseth testify over Starlink service slowdown

Senator Adam Schiff is calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify before Congress regarding the recent slowdown of Starshield, a military-grade satellite service used by Ukrainian forces. The demand follows conflicting accounts from the White House, SpaceX, and the U.S. government concerning who ordered the restrictions that hindered Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attacks.

Reports from the Wall Street Journal suggested that President Donald Trump contacted Elon Musk to request the lifting of speed limits on the service. However, President Trump has provided inconsistent statements, at one point distancing himself from the incident and later suggesting he played a role in restoring the service.

Elon Musk has offered varying explanations, initially stating that usage limits are decided by the U.S. military and the President, before later accusing Ukraine of violating Starlink's terms of service. Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have maintained that the slowdown was a decision made by SpaceX to comply with contract terms. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed the belief that the decision to limit speeds originated from the U.S. government.