Hegseth Abandons Pentagon Initiative Established Under Trump Law
The 2017 legislation that Trump approved received support from two present Cabinet members during their time in Congress.
TroibNews 
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that he would be winding down a Pentagon program aimed at increasing the involvement of women in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, an initiative that was enacted into law during President Donald Trump's first term.
In a post on X, Hegseth labeled the Women Peace and Security program at the Defense Department as “yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.” He referred to it as a “UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists.”
Hegseth indicated that while the Pentagon would adhere to the minimum requirements dictated by federal law, it would seek to eliminate the program during the appropriations process.
This criticism is particularly noteworthy given that Trump signed the program into law, and various members of his current cabinet previously supported it while serving in Congress.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was a member of Congress from South Dakota at the time, co-authored the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act with Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former senator from Florida, co-sponsored the Senate version of the legislation. This law incorporated the “women, peace and security” agenda and its priorities across the State Department, Pentagon, and other government entities into U.S. law.
Recently, Rubio praised Trump's signing of the Women, Peace and Security Act, asserting that it was “the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.”
While National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was not in Congress when the 2017 law was enacted, he supported later legislation to strengthen the “women, peace and security” agenda and served as co-chair of the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Caucus.
The White House has not responded to inquiries about whether the administration endorses Hegseth's actions.
Democrats quickly condemned Hegseth's decision. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who co-wrote the Senate version of the 2017 legislation with Rubio, remarked on Tuesday that Hegseth's actions reflect "a dangerous and disturbing pattern from the Secretary, who clearly does not listen to advice from senior military leaders. He also continues to ignore the invaluable role women play in our national security. It’s startling that just because the word ‘women’ is in the title, this evidence-based security program has been reduced to a DEI program.”
Sen. Tim Kaine pointed to supportive comments from Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, Trump's nominee to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who praised the program during his confirmation hearing this year.
"The fact that he claims that it's a Biden issue when it is an initiative that was supported unanimously by a Republican majority of the Senate and 'troops hate it' when the newly confirmed head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testifies to its value, I find shocking," Kaine stated.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
In a post on X, Hegseth labeled the Women Peace and Security program at the Defense Department as “yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.” He referred to it as a “UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists.”
Hegseth indicated that while the Pentagon would adhere to the minimum requirements dictated by federal law, it would seek to eliminate the program during the appropriations process.
This criticism is particularly noteworthy given that Trump signed the program into law, and various members of his current cabinet previously supported it while serving in Congress.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was a member of Congress from South Dakota at the time, co-authored the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act with Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former senator from Florida, co-sponsored the Senate version of the legislation. This law incorporated the “women, peace and security” agenda and its priorities across the State Department, Pentagon, and other government entities into U.S. law.
Recently, Rubio praised Trump's signing of the Women, Peace and Security Act, asserting that it was “the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.”
While National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was not in Congress when the 2017 law was enacted, he supported later legislation to strengthen the “women, peace and security” agenda and served as co-chair of the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Caucus.
The White House has not responded to inquiries about whether the administration endorses Hegseth's actions.
Democrats quickly condemned Hegseth's decision. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who co-wrote the Senate version of the 2017 legislation with Rubio, remarked on Tuesday that Hegseth's actions reflect "a dangerous and disturbing pattern from the Secretary, who clearly does not listen to advice from senior military leaders. He also continues to ignore the invaluable role women play in our national security. It’s startling that just because the word ‘women’ is in the title, this evidence-based security program has been reduced to a DEI program.”
Sen. Tim Kaine pointed to supportive comments from Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, Trump's nominee to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who praised the program during his confirmation hearing this year.
"The fact that he claims that it's a Biden issue when it is an initiative that was supported unanimously by a Republican majority of the Senate and 'troops hate it' when the newly confirmed head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testifies to its value, I find shocking," Kaine stated.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
