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Statement from Rep. Stivers on the Passage of the Waiver for the Secretary of Defense Appointment

Statement

Date: Jan. 21, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense Executive Branch

The following statement may be attributed to Representative Steve Stivers (R-OH), regarding the House passage of H.R. 335, Waiver for the Secretary of Defense Appointment:

"I voted for the waiver for General Mattis, and I voted for the waiver for General Austin -- one for a Republican president, and one Democrat president. But since George Washington resigned his commission in 1783, we've had civilian control of our military and that is not a precedent that should be taken lightly. These waivers need to be the exception, not the rule.

"While it is critical to our military preparedness and national security to have a confirmed Secretary of Defense, and while the President has the right to fill that position with whom he sees fit, we should not encourage our military leaders to signal political leanings in an effort to earn a possible appointment. This is a dangerous pattern."


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