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thisfinecrewTo conduct a confirmation hearing on the expected nomination of James N. Mattis To Be Secretary Of Defense
When: Thursday 12 January from 10:00am
NOTE: "Upon completion of the confirmation hearing: The Committee will proceed to consider legislation to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces."
Committee Members: (as at 10 Jan) Chairman: Senator John McCain, John (R - AZ), Senator James M. Inhofe (R - OK) , Senator Jeff Sessions (R - AL), Senator Roger F. Wicker (R - MS), Senator Deb Fischer (R - NE), Senator Tom Cotton (R - AR), Senator Mike Rounds (R - SD), Senator Joni Ernst (R - IA), Senator Thom Tillis (R - NC), Senator Dan Sullivan (R - AK), Senator David Perdue (R - GA), Senator Ted Cruz (R - TX), Senator Lindsey Graham (R - SC), Senator Ben Sasse (R - NE), Ranking Member: Senator Jack Reed (D - RI), Senator Bill Nelson (D - FL), Senator Claire McCaskill (D - MO), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D - NH), Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, (D - NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D - CT), Senator Joe Donnelly (D - IN), Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D - HI), Senator Tim Kaine (D - VA), Senator Angus King (I - ME), Senator Martin Heinrich (D - NM), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D - MA), Senator Gary C. Peters (D - MI)
What the committee should be concerned about: General Mattis retired from active duty in May 2013 after more than 40 years in the Marine Corps. He was a seasoned combat commander and, from 2010, in charge of US Central Command in 2010, giving him command responsibility for all US forces in the Middle East.
He is widely regarded as one of Trump's cabinet better. He's demonstrably and actively against torture and mistreatment of prisoners and has told Trump that "I've never found [waterboarding] to be useful." He was "held in high regard throughout the ranks of the Marine Corps" throughout his service. One of the two expert witnesses who testified before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday 10 January said he would be "a stabilizing and moderating force, preventing wildly stupid, dangerous or illegal things from happening."
While there are some possible concerns about his policy views (he was an outspoken critic of the Iran nuclear deal, for example), the most significant concern about his appointment is that his appointment would violate "a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces." His appointment would require legislation to waive this requirement. The expert testimony of the two witnesses (one of whom served under George W. Bush's administration and was part of the conservative "Never Trump" campaign, and the other under Obama's administration) at the 10 January hearing advised that General Mattis should be appointed, but said that his appointment should not set a precedent and that "when Mattis leaves the Pentagon, another recently serving senior officer should not become defense secretary for at least 20 years."
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D - NY), a member of the committee, said after the Tuesday hearing that she still had “grave concerns” about allowing General Mattis to become defense secretary. However, there was little opposition to Mattis's appointment from other Democrats on the committee, other than a desire that the waiver legislation needed for General Mattis would not "open the door" for similar nominations of recently retired officers to run the Pentagon.
Suggested action: As with Elaine Chao, given the Democrats don't seem inclined to oppose this nomination -- apart from his violation of the recent-service rule, Mattis seems like a fairly decent pick who would be willing to stand up to Trump and "speak Truth to Power" -- it's probably not worth calling about this one, and instead focusing on other more dangerous candidates. (There may be reason to call later if the waiver legislation is too weak.) But please let us know in comments if there are strong reasons the committee should reject the nomination.
Housekeeping note: This is the last of the confirmation hearings currently scheduled for this week. I'll be back in a couple of days with posts on the hearings scheduled for next week.
When: Thursday 12 January from 10:00am
NOTE: "Upon completion of the confirmation hearing: The Committee will proceed to consider legislation to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces."
Committee Members: (as at 10 Jan) Chairman: Senator John McCain, John (R - AZ), Senator James M. Inhofe (R - OK) , Senator Jeff Sessions (R - AL), Senator Roger F. Wicker (R - MS), Senator Deb Fischer (R - NE), Senator Tom Cotton (R - AR), Senator Mike Rounds (R - SD), Senator Joni Ernst (R - IA), Senator Thom Tillis (R - NC), Senator Dan Sullivan (R - AK), Senator David Perdue (R - GA), Senator Ted Cruz (R - TX), Senator Lindsey Graham (R - SC), Senator Ben Sasse (R - NE), Ranking Member: Senator Jack Reed (D - RI), Senator Bill Nelson (D - FL), Senator Claire McCaskill (D - MO), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D - NH), Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, (D - NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D - CT), Senator Joe Donnelly (D - IN), Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D - HI), Senator Tim Kaine (D - VA), Senator Angus King (I - ME), Senator Martin Heinrich (D - NM), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D - MA), Senator Gary C. Peters (D - MI)
What the committee should be concerned about: General Mattis retired from active duty in May 2013 after more than 40 years in the Marine Corps. He was a seasoned combat commander and, from 2010, in charge of US Central Command in 2010, giving him command responsibility for all US forces in the Middle East.
He is widely regarded as one of Trump's cabinet better. He's demonstrably and actively against torture and mistreatment of prisoners and has told Trump that "I've never found [waterboarding] to be useful." He was "held in high regard throughout the ranks of the Marine Corps" throughout his service. One of the two expert witnesses who testified before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday 10 January said he would be "a stabilizing and moderating force, preventing wildly stupid, dangerous or illegal things from happening."
While there are some possible concerns about his policy views (he was an outspoken critic of the Iran nuclear deal, for example), the most significant concern about his appointment is that his appointment would violate "a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces." His appointment would require legislation to waive this requirement. The expert testimony of the two witnesses (one of whom served under George W. Bush's administration and was part of the conservative "Never Trump" campaign, and the other under Obama's administration) at the 10 January hearing advised that General Mattis should be appointed, but said that his appointment should not set a precedent and that "when Mattis leaves the Pentagon, another recently serving senior officer should not become defense secretary for at least 20 years."
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D - NY), a member of the committee, said after the Tuesday hearing that she still had “grave concerns” about allowing General Mattis to become defense secretary. However, there was little opposition to Mattis's appointment from other Democrats on the committee, other than a desire that the waiver legislation needed for General Mattis would not "open the door" for similar nominations of recently retired officers to run the Pentagon.
Suggested action: As with Elaine Chao, given the Democrats don't seem inclined to oppose this nomination -- apart from his violation of the recent-service rule, Mattis seems like a fairly decent pick who would be willing to stand up to Trump and "speak Truth to Power" -- it's probably not worth calling about this one, and instead focusing on other more dangerous candidates. (There may be reason to call later if the waiver legislation is too weak.) But please let us know in comments if there are strong reasons the committee should reject the nomination.
Housekeeping note: This is the last of the confirmation hearings currently scheduled for this week. I'll be back in a couple of days with posts on the hearings scheduled for next week.
