Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s choice to shut down the Pentagon’s Women, Peace & Security (WPS) program has caused strong criticism, especially from Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who says Hegseth is harming the country’s position in the world and showing a deep lack of understanding.
On Tuesday, Hegseth announced he was ending the program, calling it a “woke, divisive social justice effort pushed by the Biden administration” that takes too much time away from commanders and troops, distracting them from “WAR-FIGHTING.” He also referred to it as a “UNITED NATIONS program supported by feminists and left-wing activists,” saying that “troops HATE it.”
Politico and The Hill reported that the WPS program was created by the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act, a bipartisan achievement signed into law by President Trump. Several current members of Trump’s cabinet played important roles in its development.
Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio left red-faced as Hegseth axes their ‘signature’ Women, Peace & Security Act
The Guardian reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote the House version of the act along with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). Secretary of State Marco Rubio co-sponsored the Senate version. Additionally, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, while serving in the House, was a founding member of the WPS Caucus and backed later laws strengthening the program.
The Trump campaign website even listed it as one of the administration’s top accomplishments for women during his first term. As recently as April 1st, Secretary Rubio praised the act, calling it “the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and increasing their participation in society.”
The program’s main purpose is to encourage women’s involvement in all areas of overseas conflict prevention, management, resolution, and post-conflict recovery efforts across the State Department, Pentagon, and other government agencies. The Biden administration released several memos outlining action plans for how the Pentagon would carry out the program, with the most recent one issued in December 2024.
Senator Shaheen, who was a key leader in the bipartisan effort to pass the 2017 law, strongly condemned Hegseth’s decision. She said his move is part of “a dangerous and troubling pattern… He clearly does not listen to advice from top military leaders. He also keeps ignoring the crucial role women play in our national security.”
Shaheen noted that every combatant commander she has spoken with has stressed how the WPS program gives U.S. forces a strategic advantage in the field. She added that it is “surprising that just because the word ‘women’ is in the title, this security program, which is based on evidence, has been wrongly labeled as just a DEI program.” She also argued that Hegseth’s actions damage the country’s global reputation.
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), co-chair of the WPS Caucus, called Hegseth’s decision “outrageous and reckless,” stressing that the program is “smart, strategic policy built on years of research and bipartisan law.” She warned that dismissing WPS as a “UN feminist plot” is not only incorrect but also dangerous, ignoring real-world conditions and weakening national security.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) pointed out that Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, Trump’s choice for chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, supports the program and spoke positively about it during his confirmation hearing. Kaine said it is “shocking” that Hegseth claims the program is a Biden issue and that “troops hate it” when the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has testified to its importance.
Published: Apr 29, 2025 02:20 pm