Finally a Bipartisan Moment As Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms Trump's Sec. of Defense Pick
The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper.
The vote was 90 to 8.
JUST IN: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Mark Esper to be the next Secretary of Defense, 90-8. https://t.co/NEgRhdOkAR pic.twitter.com/R82vBibhIp
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 23, 2019
“The Pentagon has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since December, when former Secretary James Mattis stepped down following Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria,” CBS News reported.
Esper, a Persian Gulf War veteran, had been Secretary of the Army since November 2017.
He and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are both 1986 graduates of West Point.
President Donald Trump named Esper acting Secretary of Defense in June when Patrick Shanahan withdrew his nomination after domestic violence incidents involving his family members surfaced.
Esper, 55, served in the 101st Airborne Division during the Gulf War in 1990-91. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star.
The Pennsylvania native retired from the Army in 2007, having spent 10 years on active duty and 11 years in the National Guard and Army Reserve.
Esper went on to a position with the conservative Heritage Foundation and then served as a senior staff member to Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
Before being tapped by Trump to become Secretary of Army, Esper was a lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon Corporation.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts grilled Esper during his confirmation hearing over his connection to Raytheon.
She asked if he would commit to not serving with any defense contractor for at least four years after his time as secretary of defense ends.
“No senator, I will not,” Esper answered.
Warren announced in light of Esper’s response, she would not be voting for his confirmation, saying the American people could not be certain he was not putting his own financial interests over those of the country.
Elizabeth Warren tries to shame SecDef nominee and war veteran Mark Esper. It does NOT go well.
“I went to war for this country, served overseas for this country; I’ve stepped down from jobs that paid me well more than anyone else” to serve, “So no.”pic.twitter.com/sjBA8OvNrm
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) July 16, 2019
Esper refuted the allegation.
“At the age of 18, I went to West Point and I swore and oath to defend this Constitution,” he said. “And I embraced the (academy’s) motto … ‘Duty, Honor, Country.'”
“I went to war for this country, I served overseas for this country; I’ve stepped down from jobs that paid me well more than what I was working anywhere else,” he added. “Each time it was to serve the public good, and to serve the men and women of our armed services. So no.”
“I think the presumption is that anyone that comes from the corporate world is corrupt.”
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