Democrats are likely to delay the confirmation of Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth until after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, leaving the Pentagon without a confirmed leader, according to Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Wicker told Politico Thursday that although Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed as defense secretary, Democrats are likely to drag it out as long as possible, until as late as Thursday.
“I expect our Democratic friends will delay it to the extent to which they are free to do under the rules. Wednesday, Thursday perhaps,” Wicker told the outlet.
“This is not something that needs to drag out,” he added. “He’s got the votes.”
Hegseth’s strong performance at his nomination hearing on Tuesday garnered universal support from Republicans, including from those who had previously expressed reluctance to support him, such as Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).
Meanwhile, Democrats — who unleashed vicious attacks on his character and regurgitated anonymous smears against him at the hearing — have spent the last several days complaining that he is unqualified to lead the department.
Coincidentally, earlier this week, a Department of Defense Inspector General report was released showing that Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin broke the law and jeopardized the country’s security when he underwent hospitalization without informing President Joe Biden, the commander in chief — essentially breaking the chain of command at a time when the U.S. military is involved in multiple conflicts.
SASC Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), who opposes Hegseth’s confirmation, told Politico that Democrats wanted “more information.”
“We’ve made it clear we feel that there’s more information that should be provided, and not just for our benefit, but for our Republican colleagues too,” he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), whose attempted “gotcha” moment against Hegseth failed spectacularly, told the outlet that she does not anticipate the Senate expediting a confirmation vote for Hegseth.
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