Several Democratic politicians who opposed a waiver allowing Gen. James Mattis to serve as President Trump’s defense secretary are now supporting a waiver for President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee.
“In 2017 I voted against granting a waiver for Jim Mattis,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted Monday after announcing he would support the waiver for Biden’s defense secretary pick Gen. Lloyd Austin. “My constituents should rightfully ask, what’s different now?”
“First, the immediacy of the threat to our country requires DoD to have leadership in place without delay,” Murphy continued. “But that’s not the only thing that’s changed.”
In 2017 I voted against granting a waiver for Jim Mattis. My constituents should rightfully ask, what’s different now?
First, the immediacy of the threat to our country requires DoD to have leadership in place without delay. But that’s not the only thing that’s changed.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 18, 2021
Current law states that only a civilian can serve as defense secretary, meaning that individuals who have served in the military must have retired at least seven years prior unless given special permission by Congress.
Murphy then went on to further justify his current position by explaining that Trump’s lack of foreign policy experience made it “troubling” that he was appointing a general to the position.
“A general at DoD was especially worrying under Trump,” Murphy tweeted. “Trump had zero foreign policy experience, a penchant to glorify violence, a total neophyte Secretary of State, and an unstable, war mongering former general as NSA.”
“All of this is different under Biden. Biden has loads of experience and a built in healthy skepticism of military action,” Murphy continued. “The balance of power in his national security team lies with Blinken, Sullivan, Burns, Power, Kerry, Thomas-Greenfield, all diplomats.”
In addition to Murphy, Democrat House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith opposed the waiver for Mattis but now supports it for Austin. However, he did not specifically name Mattis in his objection the first time around but opposed the move in a more general sense.
“Today I sent a letter to all my Democratic colleagues in the House, urging them to vote in favor of granting Secretary of Defense designate @LloydAustin the waiver necessary to complete his historic confirmation,” Smith tweeted.
Today I sent a letter to all my Democratic colleagues in the House, urging them to vote in favor of granting Secretary of Defense designate @LloydAustin the waiver necessary to complete his historic confirmation. (1/x)
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) January 18, 2021
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and 14 other Democratic senators voted against granting Mattis a waiver in 2017.
