President Trump's September 2026 nomination of acting Secretary Hung Cao for permanent Senate confirmation has moved to the Armed Services Committee, with the White House forwarding related Navy posts the same month. Cao, confirmed as under secretary in October 2025 on a 52-45 vote, has led the department since April amid the Iran conflict, prioritizing shipbuilding, sailor readiness, and homeland defense. A key structural barrier remains the statutory seven-year retirement rule for service secretaries; Cao left active duty in 2021 and requires congressional waivers from both chambers before eligibility in 2028. No hearing date has been set, and trader sentiment centers on waiver prospects, Senate floor timing, and any procedural holds in the current Congress.