“You are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of pullup, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences,” Hirono said. “Are you requiring these kinds of pullups?”
Patel, who has overseen sweeping reforms at the bureau since taking office earlier this year, confirmed the requirement and defended it as essential for operational readiness.
“We are requiring a physical program at BFTC at Quantico because FBI agents carrying guns in the field have to chase down bad guys and do really hard work,” he responded. “The physical fitness standards of those agents are being appropriately assessed. … If you want to chase down a bad guy and put him in handcuffs, you better be able to do a pullup.”
Hirono pushed back, calling the standard “harsh” and suggesting it could discourage capable women from applying to the FBI.
“There are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pullups is really required of FBI agents,” she said.
Patel dismissed that characterization, replying, “Doing one pullup is not harsh, and there are always medical exemptions to that.”
Beyond physical standards, Hirono expressed broader concerns about Patel’s leadership, accusing him of overseeing a “mass exodus” from the bureau. She cited nearly $500 million in budget cuts and claimed morale had plummeted amid retirements, reassignments, and internal shake-ups.
“I am gravely concerned by the state of the FBI under your control,” Hirono said. “Thousands have already left. … For as long as you remain as the head of the FBI, I fear the number of departures and summary firings will continue to grow.”
In an unexpected pivot, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) seized on Hirono’s remarks to make a broader argument about gender-based standards — and to advocate preserving sex-based distinctions in areas such as women’s sports.
“Before I begin, I want to thank Sen. Hirono for what she said, acknowledging that there are physical differences between men and women,” Britt said. “I think she was making a case that there should be different standards … and that’s why we continue to say we should have biological men in men’s sports and biological women in women’s sports.”
LIVE UPDATES: FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS IN AFTERMATH OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION
Under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has already made significant adjustments to its recruitment pipeline. In August, the bureau dropped its long-standing college degree requirement and reduced training time at the FBI Academy in Quantico from 18 weeks to eight weeks.
Kash Patel clashes with Hirono over FBI fitness standards for women
