Ashton Carter, President Obama’s nominee as defense secretary, promised senators Wednesday that he would be a “candid” voice on national security policy amid Republican concerns about White House micromanagement of the Pentagon.
“I have promised President Obama that if I am confirmed I would furnish him my most candid strategic advice,” Carter said. “I will also ensure that the president receives candid military advice.”
Carter, a longtime senior Pentagon official who most recently was deputy secretary from October 2011 until December 2013, is expected to easily be confirmed to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
But Republicans first want to test him on his ability to overcome concerns that the White House has meddled too much in Pentagon affairs since Obama took office in 2009, concerns that have been reinforced by public comments from former secretaries Robert Gates and Leon Panetta and news reports that the same problem led to Hagel’s forced departure.
Among those concerns were complaints by both Gates and Panetta that White House officials were bypassing Pentagon leaders and dealing directly with commanders on important matters. Carter pledged he would put an end to that.
“If I’m confirmed as secretary of defense, I will be a stickler for the chain of command,” he said.
As deputy secretary and as undersecretary for acquisitions, technology and logistics for two years before that, Carter developed a reputation for candor that didn’t always toe the line with administration policy. But he also played a major role in developing many of the administration’s key policies, including its global military strategy, the blueprint for a shrinking defense budget and the revamped process by which the Pentagon buys weapons.
He largely defended those policies against Republican concerns on Wednesday, noting, “I certainly agree with the president’s overall thrust,” but said he would look at details of the approach against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and other global crises and offer candid advice on how to proceed.
The administration plans to release its long-awaited national security strategy update on Friday amid growing concerns from Democrats and members of the foreign policy establishment as well as Republicans that its approaches to fighting the Islamic State and other challenges such as Russian aggression in Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear ambitions are not as strong or as focused as they should be.
One area where Carter and panel Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., found common ground was on the need to reform the Pentagon’s process for buying weapons and equipment. McCain has made clear he plans to take a tough stance against management issues that cause major weapons programs to come in over budget, behind schedule and below expectations for performance.
“This must stop,” Carter agreed.
