NORAH O’DONNELL: Nearly 250,000 women serve in the U.S. military. with about 2% of them in combat roles. Tonight, one of President-Elect Trump's cabinet picks is in the spotlight over comments about those female warriors. CBS's Scott MacFarlane reports from Capitol Hill, where the Defense Secretary hopeful is meeting with senators.
SCOTT MACFARLANE: For the man who wants to run the Pentagon, a political rescue mission expands. Pete Hegseth met late today with Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski; and tomorrow meets with another potentially pivotal moderate vote- Maine’s Susan Collins. Two senators who have defied Donald Trump on key votes in the past.
SUSAN COLLINS: I'm going to be asking him on everything from his position on Ukraine, on sexual assaults in the military.
MACFARLANE: Over the past 24 hours, Hegseth has been asked about his controversial statement weeks ago that women shouldn't serve in combat roles.
PETE HEGSETH: It hasn't made us more effective, hasn't made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.
MACFARLANE: On Fox News Monday night, he referenced women in the military, but not in combat.
HEGSETH: I also want an opportunity here to clarify comments that have been misconstrued that I somehow don't support women in the military. Some of our greatest warriors, our best warriors out there are women.