White House urges GOP to yield, let Hagel go to NATO meeting
The White House urged Senate Republicans to yield on their opposition to Chuck Hagel on Thursday so that the U.S. can send its new defense secretary to discuss the future of Afghanistan at next week’s NATO meeting in Brussels. “We need our new defense secretary to be there,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh ...
The White House urged Senate Republicans to yield on their opposition to Chuck Hagel on Thursday so that the U.S. can send its new defense secretary to discuss the future of Afghanistan at next week’s NATO meeting in Brussels.
The White House urged Senate Republicans to yield on their opposition to Chuck Hagel on Thursday so that the U.S. can send its new defense secretary to discuss the future of Afghanistan at next week’s NATO meeting in Brussels.
“We need our new defense secretary to be there,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, aboard Air Force One. “It does not send a favorable signal for Republicans in the United States Senate to delay a vote on the President’s nominee — a nominee who is a member of their own party — to be the secretary of defense. It’s difficult to explain to our allies exactly why that’s happening.”
Republicans have maintained they will stall Hagel’s nomination by denying Democrats the 60 votes needed to end debate and move to a final vote on Friday. Hagel officials concede they are two votes short of 60, as of midday Thursday.
“The president stands strongly behind Senator Hagel,” Earnest said. An official working on Hagel’s nomination said the White House would not have Hagel withdraw, no matter the outcome of the filibuster, namely because Hagel has more than enough votes for the simple majority needed for confirmation.
“So we urge Republicans in the Senate to drop their delay. Here’s why this delay is critically important: There is a clear majority in the United States Senate for Senator Hagel’s confirmation. These delaying tactics are unconscionable and they should end right away.”
Officials close to Hagel are arguing for a final vote to occur on Friday in order to let Hagel begin work on the Afghanistan drawdown NATO allies want to learn more about next week. The Senate is scheduled to leave for President’s Day recess next week but Majority Leader Harry Reid (R-NV) has said he would keep senators in Washington until a final vote occurs.
“We need our new Secretary of Defense in place to be a part of that process,” said Earnest, in addition to the looming sequester, which takes effect on March 1.
If Hagel falters, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to leave his California home to attend the NATO meeting.
Kevin Baron is a national security reporter for Foreign Policy, covering defense and military issues in Washington. He is also vice president of the Pentagon Press Association. Baron previously was a national security staff writer for National Journal, covering the "business of war." Prior to that, Baron worked in the resident daily Pentagon press corps as a reporter/photographer for Stars and Stripes. For three years with Stripes, Baron covered the building and traveled overseas extensively with the secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, covering official visits to Afghanistan and Iraq, the Middle East and Europe, China, Japan and South Korea, in more than a dozen countries. From 2004 to 2009, Baron was the Boston Globe Washington bureau's investigative projects reporter, covering defense, international affairs, lobbying and other issues. Before that, he muckraked at the Center for Public Integrity. Baron has reported on assignment from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the South Pacific. He was won two Polk Awards, among other honors. He has a B.A. in international studies from the University of Richmond and M.A. in media and public affairs from George Washington University. Originally from Orlando, Fla., Baron has lived in the Washington area since 1998 and currently resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, three sons, and the family dog, The Edge. Twitter: @FPBaron
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