Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin confirmed as Defense head
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Lloyd J. Austin as Defense secretary Friday, putting the first Black American in charge of the Pentagon by a nearly unanimous vote of 93 to 2.
Austin, a retired fourstar Army general who commanded U.S. forces in the Middle East, becomes the second member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet to be approved by the Senate. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines was confirmed Wednesday, after Biden’s swearing-in, and several other Cabinet members are likely to get confirmation votes soon.
Austin arrived at the Pentagon and was sworn in around noon, an hour after the Senate vote. He received a briefing on actions against the spread of COVID-19, and made clear that his immediate priority was expanding the military‘s role in assisting the federal response to the pandemic.
“You have already come to the aid of our nation’s health care professionals. You can expect that mission to continue,” Austin said in a message to the sprawling department released by the Pentagon. “But we must help the federal government move further and faster to eradicate the devastating effects of the coronavirus.”
He also faces far-reaching decisions on whether to proceed with further troop drawdowns in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and on focusing U.S. security strategy more on countering China in East Asia, which he has previously said will be one of his priorities. And Austin will have to work on easing tensions with allies in Europe and Asia over U.S. defense commitments; those relations frayed considerably under former President Donald Trump.
The new Pentagon chief was scheduled to receive an intelligence update and speak by phone with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Austin will also focus on rebuilding the civilian workforce at the Pentagon. In the Trump administration, many jobs remained vacant or were filled by acting officials who never were formally nominated and confirmed. The Senate debate on Austin’s nomination was brief, lasting only 10 minutes. The two senators who voted against him were Republicans, Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Austin’s speedy approval came despite some lawmakers’ concerns that putting a recently retired officer in charge of the armed forces might further weaken the nation’s principle of civilian control of the military. Austin reassured lawmakers that he understood his role as a civilian official would require him to be independent of the armed services in advising Biden.
The way was cleared for his confirmation Thursday, when the House and the Senate voted to waive a law that requires former officers to have been out of uniform at least seven years before they could become Defense secretary. Austin retired in 2016.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Austin was “clearly qualified” and the “president should get real latitude” to pick “qualified mainstream people of their choosing.”