"I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job."
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Maine Senator Susan Collins has followed her colleague Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and has stated that she, too, will not be supporting Pete Hegseth to become Secretary of Defense. Hegseth faced tough questioning when he was grilled by the Senate in his confirmation hearing last week.
On Wednesday, Collins told reporters that she had concerns about Hegseth, saying that the FBI background check had been incomplete and did not include information obtained during an interview with his former sister-in-law. That FBI report was found to be unremarkable by those on the committee who did review it.
"I’ve heard from others that pertinent information has not been included, and that is troubling. When you’re making a decision about a nominee, you want to have as complete a picture as possible," she said.
Collins, not a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, had not been privy to the FBI report. That former sister-in-law of Hegseth's, Danielle Hegseth, "said she told the FBI in an interview that the nominee has an alcohol problem and was abusive to his ex-wife Samantha," The Hill reported. There were also allegations from said sister-in-law that Hegseth's ex-wife had said she once hid in a closet over safety concerns within her marriage.
Hegseth called the whole thing from the two women a "smear" campaign and has fully denied the allegations. That denial also came from his ex-wife, who said there was "no physical abuse" in her marriage.
In a statement, she wrote:
"After careful consideration, I have decided to vote against Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.
"Our military is under tremendous pressure right now. Active conflicts in the Middle East and Europe combined with escalating threats in the Pacific, all against a backdrop of severe financial challenges and four years of ineffective leadership by the Biden Administration, make this an especially critical time for those who lead our military. The next Secretary of Defense will be responsible for managing a massive bureaucracy that includes nearly three million employees and a budget of nearly $850 billion. In addition, our next Secretary faces long-standing procurement and supply issues that continued to worsen under the Biden Administration.
"In sum, the Secretary is going to be facing a number of incredibly complex problems that are going to require highly skilled management ability. I am concerned that Mr. Hegseth does not have the management experience and background that he will need in order to tackle these difficulties. His limited managerial experience involved running two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results.
"I am also concerned about multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. He and I had a candid conversation in December about his past statements and apparently evolving views. I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.
"Women comprise nearly 18 percent of our active-duty military. They continue to make critical and valuable contributions to our national defense. I have long advocated that women who wish to serve in and can meet the rigorous standards of combat roles should be able to do so. And numerous women have proved that they can accomplish this difficult feat.
"Currently, thousands of women are serving in combat roles and many others serve in non-combat functions. Their service is essential to the success of our military.
"Mr. Hegseth also appears to lack a sufficient appreciation for some of the policies that the military is required to follow because they are codified in the laws of the United States of America. While I understand his points on the importance of up-to-date and workable rules of engagement, our prohibitions against torture come from American laws and treaties ratified by the United States, including the Geneva Conventions. Therefore, I will vote against the nomination."
On Wednesday, Collins told reporters that she had concerns about Hegseth, saying that the FBI background check had been incomplete and did not include information obtained during an interview with his former sister-in-law. That FBI report was found to be unremarkable by those on the committee who did review it.
"I’ve heard from others that pertinent information has not been included, and that is troubling. When you’re making a decision about a nominee, you want to have as complete a picture as possible," she said.
Collins, not a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, had not been privy to the FBI report. That former sister-in-law of Hegseth's, Danielle Hegseth, "said she told the FBI in an interview that the nominee has an alcohol problem and was abusive to his ex-wife Samantha," The Hill reported. There were also allegations from said sister-in-law that Hegseth's ex-wife had said she once hid in a closet over safety concerns within her marriage.
Hegseth called the whole thing from the two women a "smear" campaign and has fully denied the allegations. That denial also came from his ex-wife, who said there was "no physical abuse" in her marriage.
In a statement, she wrote:
"After careful consideration, I have decided to vote against Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.
"Our military is under tremendous pressure right now. Active conflicts in the Middle East and Europe combined with escalating threats in the Pacific, all against a backdrop of severe financial challenges and four years of ineffective leadership by the Biden Administration, make this an especially critical time for those who lead our military. The next Secretary of Defense will be responsible for managing a massive bureaucracy that includes nearly three million employees and a budget of nearly $850 billion. In addition, our next Secretary faces long-standing procurement and supply issues that continued to worsen under the Biden Administration.
"In sum, the Secretary is going to be facing a number of incredibly complex problems that are going to require highly skilled management ability. I am concerned that Mr. Hegseth does not have the management experience and background that he will need in order to tackle these difficulties. His limited managerial experience involved running two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results.
"I am also concerned about multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. He and I had a candid conversation in December about his past statements and apparently evolving views. I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.
"Women comprise nearly 18 percent of our active-duty military. They continue to make critical and valuable contributions to our national defense. I have long advocated that women who wish to serve in and can meet the rigorous standards of combat roles should be able to do so. And numerous women have proved that they can accomplish this difficult feat.
"Currently, thousands of women are serving in combat roles and many others serve in non-combat functions. Their service is essential to the success of our military.
"Mr. Hegseth also appears to lack a sufficient appreciation for some of the policies that the military is required to follow because they are codified in the laws of the United States of America. While I understand his points on the importance of up-to-date and workable rules of engagement, our prohibitions against torture come from American laws and treaties ratified by the United States, including the Geneva Conventions. Therefore, I will vote against the nomination."
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Comments
66 days ago | Comment by: Keith
Primary them and issue recess appointments where needed.
65 days ago | Comment by: Jeanne
I’m concerned an idiot congresswoman think she knows better than an actual combat veteran. This is BS.