Senator Murray: “I am extremely skeptical Acting Secretary Shanahan is equipped to provide President Trump with principled, expert guidance grounded in what’s best for our country and our servicemembers”
More from Politico: “Shanahan nomination sets up ‘referendum’ on Trump’s policies” – LINK
***WATCH VIDEO OF SENATOR MURRAY’S STATEMENT HERE***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s nomination of Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to permanently fill the position:
“The Secretary of Defense is one of the most important roles in our national security infrastructure. He or she is responsible for safeguarding our interests around the world, for protecting our families from threats to our homeland, and critically, for decisionmaking about the lives and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of servicemembers who, along with their families, have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms. Without exception, the person in this role must uphold these responsibilities and values as he or she counsels the President, particularly at a moment of such consequence for our nation’s safety and security. This is why I have grave doubts that Acting Secretary Shanahan is the right person to serve as Secretary of Defense.
“In his short tenure as Acting Secretary, Shanahan has demonstrated a concerning readiness to rubber stamp President Trump’s most reckless and dangerous impulses rather than providing sound advice reflecting the best interests of our servicemembers and national security priorities. He defended needlessly stationing troops along our southern border, backed the President’s outrageous national emergency declaration, and even diverted critical funds from our servicemembers and military assets to support the President’s ridiculous border wall. Equally troubling, he has responded to the rising number of sexual assaults in our military with a striking lack of urgency and was a key voice in implementing Trump’s hateful transgender military service ban. All of this is cause to question his commitment to ensuring the safety, health, and wellbeing of our military’s greatest assets: our brave men and women in uniform.
“I look forward to a rigorous vetting of Acting Secretary Shanahan’s nomination and learning more about his vision for our military and plans to keep our country safe. However, as President Trump and members in his administration barrel toward actions in Venezuela and Iran that could threaten our nation’s security and put our troops in harm’s way, I am extremely skeptical Acting Secretary Shanahan is equipped to provide President Trump with principled, expert guidance grounded in what’s best for our country and our servicemembers.”
Watch video of Senator Murray’s statement HERE.
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