WATCH: Hirono asks Hegseth if he intends to reverse policy allowing women in combat

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday about whether he’s working to disallow women in U.S. military combat in a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Hirono asked Hegseth about a review he recently ordered about the effectiveness of women in combat roles, saying she believes he’s “laying the groundwork to reverse the policy allowing women to serve.”

Hegseth said the military is “laser-focused on standards.”

“The highest male standard for every combat arms position should be the standard, and 10 years into this, we are reviewing it,” he added.

Hegseth has previously been critical of women in combat roles, though at his confirmation hearing, he said women should be allowed to serve if they meet the standards.

Hirono also asked Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, women in combat lowers the standards of the military’s readiness and whether the standards that are currently set have “resulted in a degradation in combat effectiveness.”

“Women continue to perform well” across a range of positions, Caine replied.

Hegseth and Caine were invited to testify on President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget request to  increase defense spending to $1.5 trillion – the largest proposed amount in decades.

On Wednesday, the defense leaders appeared before House lawmakers, who questioned the defense leaders for the first time since the start of the war on Iran. Hegseth sparred with Democrats on the costs of the war and its ripple effects on Americans and the economy.

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