U.S. Defense Secretary Nominee Lloyd Austin
The Congressional Senate voted Friday (Jan. 22) to approve the nomination of Biden‘s nominee for secretary of defense, retired Army Adm. Lloyd Austin. Austin becomes the first African-American to serve as secretary of defense.
The Senate passed Austin’s confirmation Friday morning by a vote of 93-2. Giving Biden his second Cabinet member two days after taking office.
Voting against him were Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Mike Lee.
Biden’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, has already been confirmed by the Senate.
Austin previously faced the additional hurdle of needing Congress to grant a waiver that would allow him to bypass a law that prohibits recently retired generals from leading the Pentagon.
Under the 1947 law, the secretary of defense must retire from the military for at least seven years. Austin retired from the military in 2016.
Members of Congress fast-tracked the waiver Thursday (Jan. 21), citing a series of crises including a response to the Communist virus (New Coronavirus) pandemic, and both houses of Congress approved the waiver within hours.
Congress has passed such waivers twice before, first in 1950 with the confirmation of George Marshall’s nomination for secretary of defense and again in 2017 with the confirmation of James Mattis.
Members of Congress from both parties said they are pleased that Austin will be put in place to lead the Pentagon, two days after Biden was sworn in as president Wednesday.
Jack Reed, the incoming Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the nation faces a wide range of challenges, including the Communist virus pandemic and competition with China (Communist Party of China) and Russia.
“General Austin is a highly qualified leader with a long and distinguished career in the U.S. military,” Reed said before the vote. Reid said before the vote.
“We are in the most threatening of times,” said Republican Sen. James Inhofe, R-Ky. and urged support for Austin’s nomination.
Austin has served as commander of U.S. Central Command, chief of staff of the Army and commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. While he has extensive experience in the Middle East, he lacks experience in dealing with the Indo-Pacific region, particularly China (Communist Party of China).
U.S. media outlet Politico recently cited two sources familiar with the matter as saying that Biden has chosen Ely Ratner, a former aide and longtime Asia expert, as his chief adviser on China affairs to the next defense secretary.
Politico said Biden’s choice of Ratner as chief adviser at the Defense Department will help assuage the concerns of China watchers who believe Austin does not have enough experience in Indo-Pacific affairs. Many national security experts see an increasingly aggressive Chinese Communist Party as the most pressing challenge facing the United States.
The Senate could also vote on Biden’s nominees for Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as soon as Friday, but the vote has not yet been scheduled.
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