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Rep. Subramanyam slams Pentagon plan to cut scouting ties
Subramanyam said the move would undermine a key pathway through which young people enter military service.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 26, Nov 2025
- 11:34 EST
- 9
Virginia State Senator Suhas Subramanyam / Image- Wikipedia
Indian American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) criticized a reported proposal from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that would dissolve the long-standing partnership between Scouting America and the Department of Defense.
The proposal, disclosed through a leak, indicates the Pentagon is considering ending the relationship with Scouting America — formerly the Boy Scouts of America — a collaboration that has existed for more than a century.
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In a statement, Subramanyam, the Ranking Member of the Military and Foreign Affairs Oversight Subcommittee, said the move would undermine a key pathway through which young people enter military service.
“If Secretary Hegseth was truly concerned about America’s young men, he wouldn’t be cutting this partnership. For generations, Eagle Scouts join the military ready to serve in leadership positions because of the character, training, and service learned in the Scouts,” he said.
Subramanyam argued that dismantling the program would harm both military recruitment and families who rely on scouting for leadership development.
“This decision doesn’t help our recruiting crisis; it hurts Scouts and parents across the country and cuts off an entire pipeline of motivated young folks, all because the Secretary wants to score political points,” he said. He urged the Department of Defense “to reverse course immediately.”
The leaked proposal has sparked concern among youth organizations, former military officials and advocacy groups, who note that the partnership has historically supported military readiness and leadership development.
Reports on the draft plan suggest it would end military logistical and medical support for major Scouting events, including the National Jamboree, and bar Scout troops from meeting on U.S. military installations both domestically and overseas. The memo reportedly argues that Scouting America no longer aligns with what it describes as the military’s traditional values.
Scouting America’s leadership has reacted strongly, calling the development “surprising and deeply saddening,” and pointing to the organization’s century-long cooperation with every U.S. presidential administration. That relationship has included leadership programs, base access for troops and military support for major Scouting activities.
Scouting America, founded in 1910 and renamed in 2025, operates under a congressional charter and has benefited from federal protections such as the Support Our Scouts Act of 2005, which restricts federal agencies from reducing support for scouting activities.
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