By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday canceled a program that promoted the contributions of ladies in nationwide safety sectors, although it was signed into legislation by President Donald Trump in 2017 and has been championed by present Trump administration officers.
Throughout his first time period, Trump signed into legislation the Girls, Peace and Safety Act, which sought to extend the position of ladies in stopping and resolving battle, countering violent extremism and constructing post-conflict stability.
On Tuesday, Hegseth mentioned he was proud to have ended this system on the Pentagon.
“WPS is one more woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core process: WAR-FIGHTING,” Hegseth mentioned on X.
“(Division of Protection) will hereby government the minimal of WPS required by statute, and battle to finish this system for our subsequent funds,” he added. “GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!”
He later tweeted, with out proof, that the Biden administration had “distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017.”
Hegseth has taken purpose at range, fairness and inclusion on the Pentagon since he took workplace.
With Hegseth as protection secretary, the Pentagon has ended commemorations of id month celebrations, like Black Historical past Month, and a few books have been faraway from the Naval Academy– together with Maya Angelou’s memoir.
The WPS program was promoted by the primary Trump administration.
“That is the primary laws of its variety globally,
which makes america the primary nation in
the world with a complete legislation on WPS,” a 2019 White Home doc mentioned.
It additionally has bipartisan help. Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state, was a co-sponsor of the invoice, as was Kristi Noem, the present secretary of homeland safety. Mike Waltz, Trump’s nationwide safety advisor, was a founding member of the WPS congressional caucus when he was a lawmaker.
“President Trump additionally signed the Girls, Peace, and Safety Act, a invoice that I used to be very proud to have been a co-sponsor of after I was within the Senate,” Rubio mentioned earlier this month on the State Division.
“It was the primary complete legislation handed in any nation on the planet – the primary legislation handed by any nation wherever on the planet – centered on defending girls and selling their participation in society,” Rubio added.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Extra reporting by Michelle Nichols and Patricia Zengerle; Enhancing by Alexandra Hudson)
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