President Trump’s pick for Navy secretary sailed smoothly through his Senate nomination hearing Tuesday, avoiding some of the heated exchanges and controversy that have snagged and scuttled other nominees.
Richard V. Spencer, a financier and former Marine helicopter pilot, touted his 36 years of experience in helming “large, complex operations and businesses that were ever-growing in scale and complexity” during his testimony before Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He also agreed with McCain — perhaps wisely — that federal budget caps have damaged Navy readiness and Pentagon cost overruns on weapons systems must be reined in, two issues that are top concerns for the Armed Services chairman. The committee will decide whether to send Spencer’s nomination to the full chamber for a floor vote.
McCain asked Spencer about the Budget Control Act of 2011, which set years of limits on defense spending in what the senator called “one of the greatest acts of cowardice ever” to pass Congress.
Spencer, who is currently managing director of Fall Creek Management in Wyoming, told the committee he would push toward the goal of a 355-ship fleet and that it would not be possible under the current caps.
“The Budget Control Act has wreaked havoc on our readiness, the impacts on the lives of our sailor and Marines,” said Spencer, who is currently the managing director of Fall Creek Management in Wyoming.
McCain, a longtime advocate of reforms to Pentagon weapons buying, brought up recent cost overruns on big-ticket programs such as the Ford-class aircraft carrier and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and asked Spencer what can be done.
“Senator, my career has been steeped in accountability and I can tell you right now the accountability starts right here,” said Spencer, who was a Sea Knight helicopter pilot at a California air station nearly four decades ago and briefly worked as an airline pilot.
Armed Services will likely take a vote later on whether to approve Spencer’s nomination and allow it to move toward a Senate floor vote.
“It seems you are doing well and I intend to support a unanimous committee vote on your nomination,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
The last Trump Pentagon nominee had a more difficult time during his June hearing before the committee.
McCain berated Pat Shanahan, the nominee to be deputy defense secretary, for his vague answers and a refusal to back U.S. lethal weapons support to Ukraine and briefly threatened to hold up the nomination.
Shanahan was eventually approved by Armed Services and is now awaiting a floor vote.
