“Pete will be a Secretary of Defense who respects the warfighter and the taxpayer… America needs a Defense Secretary immediately. Senate Republicans will get it done.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor in strong support of Pete Hegseth, President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense.
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
“Yesterday, I watched closely the nomination hearing for Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Defense.
“For the safety and security of our country, Pete deserves swift confirmation.
“I will vote for him to be our next Secretary of Defense. And that vote will happen soon.
“Pete was clear in his hearing yesterday: The incoming administration will refocus the Pentagon on American strength and hard power – not a woke agenda.
“That is welcomed news.
“We have a significant problem in our military today with morale and with recruitment. Pete Hegseth is the right person to address those issues and to make sure our military is ready to fight.
“Pete served in combat at the height of the war on terror. He deployed oversees to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. He is a decorated veteran, earning two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman’s badge.
“When Pete’s Executive Officer evaluated his performance in Iraq, the feedback was glowing.
“Pete, he said, was ‘an incredibly talented, battle-proven leader’. He ‘always completed every mission with high standards with minimal guidance or supervision.’
“I heard Senator Schumer ask on this floor, ‘Why should Americans entrust Pete
to lead our military?’
“Pete Hegseth answered that question yesterday.
“Senator Tim Sheehy asked, ‘Are you going to have the backs of the warfighters?’
“Pete answer was yes, he will have their backs. That’s why Americans should trust Pete to lead our military.
“It is interesting to hear my Democrat colleagues dismiss Pete’s years of service. They sounded angry about his plan to restore American strength.
“Frustrated that he clearly loves our country and wants to continue to serve, Democrats tried to turn yesterday’s hearing into a Kangaroo Court. They claimed that Pete isn’t qualified.
“Ok, let’s talk about experience.
“The Department of Defense is filled with people who have decades of experience working in the Pentagon.
“The Pentagon just failed its seventh consecutive audit. Think about that for a second. Each year, the American taxpayer sends the Pentagon more than $850 billion. Yet the Pentagon can’t pass a single audit.
“Sounds like we don’t need agency experience. We need a fresh set of eyes. A soldier – as Pete said himself – with dirt on his boots.
“Being Secretary of Defense is not just about managing a bureaucracy. It is about making America’s military the best and most lethal fighting force
in the world.
“Pete will be a Secretary of Defense who respects the warfighter and the taxpayer.
“He is a bold choice for the future of our military and our nation. He is the right choice.
“Look, a Senate confirmation is not an easy process. The Secretary of Defense is not an easy job.
“Yesterday, Pete gave strong answers to tough questions. He is confident and knowledgeable. He knows the cost of war, the price of weakness, and the true value and valor of American soldiers.
“As Secretary of Defense, he will reestablish deterrence and rebuild our military.
“He will champion America’s service members and restore American military readiness.
“He will bring the Pentagon back to what its mission should be: lethality,
accountability, transparency, merit, and military readiness – not social experiments and partisan politics.
“America needs a Defense Secretary immediately. Senate Republicans will get it done.”