Dems Sweep Objection to Biden Pick Under the Rug Despite Opposing Trump Nom for Same Reason
The Democrat-controlled House passed legislation required to confirm retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as President Joe Biden’s secretary of defense despite his retirement from the Army four years ago, within the seven-year window that ensures civilian leadership of the military.
Thursday’s 326-78 vote grants a waiver that would exempt Austin from the seven-year rule. All signs point to quick action in the Senate, putting Austin on track to be confirmed as secretary by week’s end.
Austin, a 41-year veteran, has promised to surround himself with qualified civilians and include them in policy decisions.
While the waiver is expected to be approved, the vote means some Democrats have seemingly flip-flopped.
Many of them opposed a similar waiver in 2017 for Jim Mattis, former President Donald Trump’s first secretary of defense.
Austin, who would be the first black secretary of defense, said he understands why some have questioned the wisdom of putting a recently retired general in charge of the Defense Department.
Much of his focus this week, including in his remarks at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, has been on persuading members of Congress that although he has been out of uniform for less than five years, he sees himself as a civilian, not a general.
Some aspects of his policy priorities are less clear. He emphasized on Tuesday that he will follow Biden’s lead in giving renewed attention to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“I will quickly review the department’s contributions to coronavirus relief efforts, ensuring we are doing everything we can — and then some — to help distribute vaccines across the country and to vaccinate our troops and preserve readiness,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Austin offered glimpses of other policy priorities, indicating that he embraces the view among many in Congress that China is the “pacing challenge,” or the leading national security problem for the U.S.
The Middle East was the main focus for Austin during much of his 41-year Army career, particularly when he reached senior officer ranks. He served several tours of duty as a commander in Iraq, including as the top commander in 2010-11.
An aspect of the defense secretary’s job that is unfamiliar to most who take the job is the far-flung and complex network of nuclear forces that are central to U.S. defense strategy.
As a career Army officer, Austin had little reason to learn the intricacies of nuclear policy, since the Army has no nuclear weapons.
He told his confirmation hearing that he would bone up on this topic before committing to any change in the nuclear policies set by the Trump administration.
Austin, a 1975 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, served in 2012 as the vice chief of staff of the Army.
A year later he assumed command of Central Command, where he fashioned and began implementing a strategy for rolling back the Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
He describes himself as the son of a postal worker and a homemaker from Thomasville, Georgia, who will speak his mind to Congress and to Biden.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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