Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand spent eight minutes lecturing Army veteran and Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth about women serving in the military at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.
Hegseth has stood in opposition to women fighting in combat roles and of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives reportedly implemented in the U.S. military. Gillibrand accused Hegseth of making denigrating comments about female service members that are “hurtful” and “harmful” to morale.
“Please explain these types of statements because they’re brutal and they’re mean,” Gillibrand said. “And they disrespect women who are willing to die for this country.”
“Well senator, I appreciate your comments and I would point out I’ve never disparaged women serving in the military. I respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform, past and present,” Hegseth said. “My critiques, senator, recently and in the past and from personal experience had been instances where I’ve seen standards lowered.”
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Hegseth, the author of “The War on Warriors,” said he spoke to a wide range of active duty service members who told him that standards had been lowered inside the military to meet female quotas and other DEI initiatives. He said these standards are denigrating to the women who have the capability to serve. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Hegseth Confirmation Battle Heats Up With New Ad Targeting Joni Ernst)
The senator claimed commanders have no quota for women and argued that female service members have been “essential” for infantry units.
“That disparages those women who are incredibly capable of meeting that standard,” Hegseth said regarding DEI standards and quotas.
“Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. That does not exist,” Gillibrand interrupted. “It does not exist, and your statements are creating the impression that these exist, because they do not. They are not quotas, we want the most lethal force. But I’m telling you, having been here for 15 years listening to testimony from men and women in combat and the type of operations that were successful in Afghanistan and in Iraq, women were essential for many of those units … You cannot denigrate women in general, and your statements do that.”
Hegseth said the military has not become more effective or lethal by having women in combat roles during a Nov. 7 podcast interview with Shawn Ryan. He wrote in his book that while there is a place for women in the military, they should not be in infantry and combat roles because they “cannot physically meet the same standards as men.”
“Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units,” Hegseth wrote.
The defense secretary nominee later told Sirius XM’s Megyn Kelly that women can serve in combat if they meet the “right standard” during a December interview.
The New York senator further accused Hegseth of ridiculing the LGBTQ community and of politicizing the Department of Defense (DOD) with his statements. She further pressed him on whether he believes liberal members should not be allowed to serve.
“Senator, I volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan under [former] Democrat President Barack Obama, I also volunteered to guard the inauguration of [President] Joe Biden but was denied the opportunity to serve because I was identified as an extremist by my own unit for a Christian tattoo,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan and in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, according to his personal website. Dozens of veterans and military members who served with Hegseth signed a letter pledging their support for his nomination as the upcoming secretary of defense.
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