President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for defense secretary, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, laid blame on military leaders for failing to detect and root out white supremacy from the ranks during his Tuesday nomination hearing.
“We have to train our leaders to make sure they are in touch with the people they are leading,” said Austin, who would be the first African American secretary of defense if granted a congressional waiver to become the Pentagon’s top civilian leader after recently serving on active duty and confirmed by the Senate.
“I don’t think this is a thing you can put a Band-Aid on and fix and leave alone,” he added, stressing how leaders must instill military values in subordinates. “Failure to be able to adhere to those values means you shouldn’t be a part of our formation.”
The 41-year Army veteran wore a crisp, silver tie as he calmly fielded tough questions from Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee who are weary of granting him the waiver he needs.
The former vice chief of the Army and chief of U.S. Central Command retired from the Army just four years ago, short of the seven-year threshold required to serve.
Democrats who opposed the 2017 waiver requested for President Trump’s nominee, retired Marine Corps Gen. Jim Mattis, vowed to oppose Austin as well. The senators said Austin has the chops for the job, but civilian control of the military would be in jeopardy if another military man is granted an exemption to the 1947 National Security Act.
Austin hammered home the point that he would surround himself with civilian leaders.
“I understand and respect the reservations that some of you have expressed about having another recently retired general at the head of the Department of Defense,” Austin said in his opening statement.
“I intend to surround myself with and empower experienced, capable civilians who will enable healthy civil-military relations,” he said.
Austin added that he would rebalance collaboration and coordination between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and he promised the top positions in his office would go to civilians.
To be sure, Biden has already nominated his pick for deputy defense secretary, Kathleen Hicks, now the director of the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Austin promised his policy chief and chief of staff would also be civilians, correcting a widely viewed error committed by Mattis, who surrounded himself with active-duty and former uniformed officials.
As the hearing wore on, even Austin’s toughest detractors said while opposed on principle to granting an exemption, they were convinced he would respect civilian control of the military.
“My opposition to the waiver is not personal, it’s a matter of principle,” Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal said. “In my view, you have expressed clearly and cogently your commitment to strengthening civilian control over the military, which you would implement if confirmed.”
Pentagon observers expect the retired general will win over enough lawmakers to secure the needed waiver.
“I think he will be confirmed, and he will get the waiver, and there will be a number of Democrats who will not vote for him,” Heritage Foundation military analyst Tom Spoehr told the Washington Examiner ahead of the hearing.
“It will require a number of Republicans to put him over the top,” he added. “Given the turbulent times we’re in, there’s going to be an inclination to get the president-elect who he wants to get this national security team in place.”
Austin coasted through the first two hours of the hearing, parrying questions about cyberthreats from Russia, asserting support for all three legs of the nuclear triad, and taking a strong stand to fight sexual harassment and sexual assault.
The longtime soldier also underscored he would direct attention to America’s current challenges.
“Asia must be the focus of our effort,” he said. “I see China, in particular, as the pacing challenge for the department.”
Austin promised to travel early and often to reconstitute America’s relationships with allies, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
Spoehr, a retired lieutenant general who worked with Austin in Iraq, believes Austin’s hearing will shore up his support.
“His performance today will probably assure people that he’s a solid citizen and that he can be trusted do the right thing,” he said. “I think he’ll be confirmed, but he will not get votes from the Warrens and the Blumenthals and the Bernie Sanders of the world.”
