By The Federalist (Politics) | Created at 2025-01-20 23:06:26 | Updated at 2025-01-21 02:12:00
3 hours ago
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted on Monday evening to send Pete Hegseth’s nomination as the next secretary of defense to the full chamber for confirmation. The final vote was 14-13, with all Democrats on the committee voting in opposition.
“I just voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination to the Senate floor,” committee member and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., wrote on X. “There is no time to waste. The Senate should confirm Hegseth NOW!”
Monday’s vote comes nearly a week after Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, in which the Army veteran faced disgusting smears and dishonest questions from the committee’s Democrat members. Meanwhile, the committee’s Republican members largely focused on policy-related matters impacting the military and U.S. national security.
During his remarks, Hegseth outlined his goal of restoring integrity and efficiency to the force and removing neo-Marxist ideologies harming military readiness.
The Defense Department must “make sure every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapon system, every pilot is fully qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag officer is selected for leadership based purely on performance, readiness, and merit,” Hegseth said. “Leaders — at all levels — will be held accountable. And warfighting and lethality — and the readiness of the troops and their families — will be our only focus.”
Several GOP senators who were squishy on supporting Hegseth’s confirmation declared their intention to vote for his nomination following last week’s hearing. This included Republican Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, John Curtis of Utah, and Joni Ernst of Iowa.
The Federalist reported last month on Ernst’s behind-the-scenes efforts to tank Hegseth’s nomination. This included, as multiple sources revealed, Ernst making personal calls to Trump and enlisting Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to lobby the then-president-elect to dump Hegseth for Ernst.
Graham signaled his willingness to support Hegseth’s confirmation following last week’s hearing, writing on X, “With today’s performance, I believe Pete Hegseth’s path to confirmation has been assured.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment on whether Hegseth has the votes necessary to become the next defense secretary.
[READ: ‘Pete’s A Patriot’: More Than 100 Veterans And Supporters Rally For Hegseth’s Pentagon Nomination]
Hegseth has faced a barrage of unsubstantiated and slanderous allegations since being tapped by Trump to lead the Pentagon. Laundered by America’s corrupt corporate media, some of these claims appear to stem from a former disgruntled employee. They have also been heavily disputed by Hegseth’s former colleagues and associates.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
