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Biden’s defense secretary pick prompts new concerns of civilian control, respect for military January 12 President-elect Joe Biden, left, listens as retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, right, Biden s choice to be secretary of defense, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., on Dec. 9, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP) Another recently retired general appears poised to become defense secretary, but outside experts warned Tuesday that both lawmakers and Pentagon leaders will need to emphasize the importance of civilian control of the military to protect public faith in the institution. “It is a short step to the belief that only professional military officers know how to govern military forces,” said Lindsay Cohn, associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
More Democrats Say They ll Vote No on Waiver for Biden s SecDef Pick Lloyd Austin
Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the Biden administration’s choice to be secretary of defense, listens during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
12 Jan 2021
Lawmakers heard from two experts Tuesday who warned that granting another waiver to a recently retired general to serve as defense secretary weakens American norms.
Several Democratic
senators say they will vote against granting a waiver for Lloyd Austin. President-elect Joe Biden has said he ll nominate the retired Army general officer, who fought in Iraq and oversaw all military missions in the Middle East, to lead the Pentagon.
Biden won’t have his defense secretary in place on Day One January 7 Then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, left, meets with Gen. Lloyd Austin, who has been nominated to be the next secretary of defense. (Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images)
UPDATE: The Senate Armed Services Committee has set a confirmation hearing for President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for defense secretary, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin: Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. WASHINGTON ― U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is pressuring Congress to quickly confirm his nominees for national security roles, but it appears the congressional calendar won’t permit his pick for defense secretary to be in place on Day One of the Biden administration.