Reproductive Freedom for All: Pete Hegseth’s Confirmation Is ‘Despicable’ - Reproductive Freedom for All

Formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America

Press Release

Reproductive Freedom for All: Pete Hegseth’s Confirmation Is ‘Despicable’

For Immediate Release: January 24, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

Reproductive Freedom for All: Pete Hegseth’s Confirmation Is ‘Despicable’

Washington, DC Today, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by an 51/50 vote as Trump’s defense secretary. Key Democratic leaders on the Armed Services Committee have raised serious concerns about Hegseth’s record including numerous sexual assault allegations and reports of inappropriate and ‘aggressive’ workplace behavior. Hegseth has also spread anti-abortion disinformation as a contributor on Fox News and publicly criticized a Department of Defense policy that eases the burdens on  service members and families who must travel to access reproductive healthcare including abortion care. As Secretary of Defense, he’ll be able to rescind this policy exacerbating the barriers service members already face accessing abortion care. Hegseth has also previously expressed his views that women should not serve in combat roles in the military and made prior comments that diversity in the military made it weaker.

Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:

“Pete Hegseth is completely unqualified to oversee service members in every branch of the military. Even worse, he has spent the last decade on-air bashing career civil servants, women, and our fundamental rights. Republicans just handed him the opportunity to roll back access to reproductive care for our service members and their families. Make no mistake, when Hegseth takes away essential health care from those who serve our country, our 4 million members will hold Senate Republicans, Donald Trump, and the cabinet members who enable him responsible.”