Waltz Will Oppose Granting Waiver to General Austin

Statement

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) issued the following statement in opposition to granting a waiver to General Austin:

"I've had the honor to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army, and as a civilian appointee in the Department of Defense (DOD) and White House. Throughout my service, I've been fortunate to serve alongside the numerous generals who have distinguished themselves in protecting our nation.

"However, through these experiences I've learned it is imperative we have a civilian serve as Secretary of Defense to ensure a diversity of thought and backgrounds as well as separation of command within DOD. The 1947 National Security Act was correct in its assessment that general officers leading the department should be an exception not the norm. That was rightly the case for 67 years but we are now on the verge of granting a waiver for the second time in four years.

"I fear we are on a slippery slope for where generals currently serving will find themselves auditioning for civilian policy positions, particularly when they disagree with administrations in power. Congress should not create an easy path to establish this precedent.

"For these reasons I will oppose granting a waiver for General Lloyd Austin.

"Our country faces a number of global strategic threats including the rise of the Chinese Communist Party, the Iran regime's nuclear ambitions, a reinvigorated Islamic terror apparatus, a destabilized Korean peninsula, and an increasingly aggressive Russian menace. The next conflict will be in the realm of quantum computing, cyber, AI, and bio weapons. With these challenges our DOD must have leaders with wide variety of backgrounds at the helm of the department and that begins with an experienced civilian leading the department."

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