. >> i would ask consent to introduce into the record letters by tina kingston, and holly talley. attesting to the appropriateness of the conduct with regards to female staffers. that is added to the record. senator banks you are now recognized. >> welcome, you have conducted yourself well today. i believe it is incumbent to confirm you to clean up the mess we have at the pentagon ongoing at this moment because of the leadership there over the last four years has failed us. in biden's first year in office, we spent over 5 million man hours on counter extremism, what we might call woke training or dei. they have refused to provide us more recent data but we know it is more man hours wasted on dei over the last four years. what do you make of that? what could those 5 million man hours, what could those man-hours have been used for? >> that is a whole lot of service members sitting and all a lot of briefs hearing about a lot of threats or political perspectives that might be dangerous that do not comport to threats that actually exist or ideas that introduce critical race theory or d

record letters by tina kingston, louisiana state director of concerned veterans for america, and holly talley, louisiana local director of concerned veterans for america, attesting to the appropriateness of mr. hecht's conduct with regard to female staffers. without objection, that is added to the record. and, senator banks, you are now recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. welcome. mr. hegseth. you have conducted yourself very well today, in fact, so well that i believe it's incumbent upon this committee to confirm you asap to get you on the job to clean up the mess that we have at the pentagon ongoing at this moment because of the leadership there over the last four years, has failed us in president biden's first year in office, the department of defense spent over 5 million man hours on quote unquote, counter extremism and diversity training. what you and i might call woke training or die. the administration has refused to provide us any more recent data than that first year, but we know that it's exponentially more man hours wasted on dei over the last four years. and i wonder, what do

, uh, letters by tina kingston, louisiana state director of concerned veterans for america and holly talley, louisiana local director of concerned veterans for america, attesting to the appropriateness of mr. hecht's conduct with regard to female staffers. without objection, that is added to the record, and, senator banks, you are now recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. welcome, mr. hegseth. you have conducted yourself very well today. in fact, so well that i believe it's incumbent upon this committee to confirm you asap to get you on the job to clean up the mess that we have at the pentagon ongoing at this moment because of the leadership there over the last four years, that's failed us in president biden's first year in office. the department of defense spent over 5 million man hours on, quote, unquote, counter extremism and diversity training. what you and i might call woke training or die. the administration has refused to provide us any more recent data than that first year, but we know that it's exponentially more man hours wasted on dni over the last four years. and i wonder, wha