A Hawaii senator is pushing back hard on the Trump administration over the military, spending, and everyday costs — a negative read on the president's priorities.

• The Pentagon is reviewing whether women should stay in combat roles, a review Hirono calls unjustified since 5,000 women already meet the standards and serve.
• She is backing a bill to lock current practice into law so any qualified woman can serve.
• The Army has no secretary and no chief of staff during a war, after the Army secretary quit — leaving what she describes as a leadership hole at the top.
• She says a military operation is burning a billion dollars a day in taxpayer money while people struggle with high food, gas, and housing costs.
• Trump is reportedly trying to strike a deal for Venezuelan oil, which she frames as a distraction from the real problem.

Outlook: Expect a fight in Congress over both the combat-roles review and the empty Army leadership posts, with rising living costs as the political backdrop.