Blumenauer Statement on Waiver for Lloyd J. Austin III to Serve as U.S. Secretary of Defense

Statement

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) today voted to grant the legal waiver necessary for retired four-star General Lloyd J. Austin III to serve as President Joe Biden's Secretary of Defense. Following is a statement from Blumenauer:

"While I believe in civilian control of the military, I also believe that our commander in chief should be able to pick the defense secretary that he or she thinks is most qualified to serve. With the myriad of challenges at home and abroad, we need the strongest possible team in place as quickly as possible. With Lloyd Austin's distinguished career, I'm confident that he is ready to lead the Department of Defense at this critical time. In the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, it's also important that we take steps to dismantle white supremacy in our military and law enforcement. Supporting the historic nomination of the first Black secretary of defense is one giant step we can take towards achieving that goal."

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