Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was the only female senator on the foreign relations committee questioning Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the hearing on Tuesday. She pushed for answers about what the State Department will do to protect Afghan women and girls.While the bulk of Tuesday’s questioning focused on past events and how the Taliban was able to quickly take over the Afghan government, Shaheen aimed her questioning at what happens next.Shaheen opposed the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan for fear of what the move may mean for women and girls if the country fell into the hands of the Taliban. She pressed Blinken on what plans the United States has in place to protect the rights of women in Afghanistan.Blinken in return said he too shares the same concern with Shaheen. He added that in the past 20 years, the U.S. has provided Afghan women with access to education, health care and employment. “We’ve worked with the international community to set very clear expectations of the Taliban going forward to include the expectation that it will uphold the basic rights of women, girls and as well as minorities,” Shaheen said. Blinken said the U.S. will make sure that continues. He went on to say the U.S. will continue to make sure humanitarian assistance continues with a focus on the needs of women and girls. Shaheen also questioned Blinken about how the Taliban was able to regain control of Afghanistan. She said she is focused on what happens next.MORE FROM WMUR: Candia man charged in connection to UTV accident that killed wife, best friend