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Hagel Survives Filibuster, Last Big Roadblock to Defense Post Hagel Survives Filibuster, Last Big Roadblock to Defense Post
(about 4 hours later)
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Tuesday to break a filibuster against the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary, clearing the way for his confirmation despite Republican complaints about his readiness for the job. WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense on Tuesday after a bruising bout with Republicans, while President Obama’s choice to be Treasury secretary headed to the floor with bipartisan support, suggesting that the Republican blockade against the administration’s second-term nominees was beginning to ease.
More than a dozen Republicans joined Senate Democrats on the 71-to-27 vote to cut off the debate. Republicans who opposed Mr. Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska, had insisted that they needed more time to examine his record. After escaping a filibuster from members of his own party, Mr. Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska, prevailed in a 58-to-41 vote — the narrowest margin for any defense secretary on record.
The Senate scheduled a vote on the nomination for Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Hagel requires a simple majority of 51 to be confirmed. Hours earlier, the Senate Finance Committee approved the nomination of Jacob J. Lew as Treasury secretary on a 19-to-5 vote. With those nominations advancing, attention turned to the Senate Intelligence Committee vote in the days ahead on the president’s nominee to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John O. Brennan.
Democrats said that Mr. Hagel was a strong pick for the job, considering his background in public office and as a soldier in the Vietnam War. They said that the Senate needed to clear Mr. Hagel’s nomination so he could get to work at the Pentagon, given national security issues around the world and pending budget cuts at home. The chances for Mr. Brennan remained good, though his confirmation is not expected to be entirely smooth, as both Republicans and Democrats have raised objections over the agency’s use of drones to kill American citizens suspected of terrorism.
Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also have threatened to hold up Mr. Brennan’s nomination over questions about the attack last year on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Both men made similar demands of Mr.Hagel, who, unlike Mr. Brennan, has had no role in formulating the Obama administration’s national security policies.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican, has asked Mr. Brennan to answer questions about the government’s use of drones and Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said Tuesday that he thought the confirmation process should continue to play out and indicated that he was willing to help delay it until Mr. Brennan answers further questions about drones.
Republicans in the Senate, joined by an array of conservative activists, have waged an all-out campaign to discredit Mr. Hagel that included digging into his financial records for evidence that he was paid by anti-American groups and scouring his old speeches for signs that he was hostile to Israel. Those efforts produced little, forcing most Republicans to acquiesce.
But even before Mr. Hagel takes office, questions are growing about whether the fight over his confirmation will wound his ability to lead the Pentagon at a time of upheaval both at home and overseas. With a series of huge budget cuts known as the sequester set to go into effect at the end of the week — cuts that will fall hard on the Defense Department if Congress cannot negotiate a compromise — Mr. Hagel will inherit myriad challenges.
Just four Republicans voted for his confirmation – Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Mr. Paul and Richard Shelby of Alabama.
Much of the debate over Mr. Hagel’s nomination focused on previoius statements he made on Middle East policy, as well as his readiness to lead the Defense Department. Democrats have said that Mr. Hagel was a strong pick for the job, considering his background in public office and as a soldier in the Vietnam War. They said that the Senate needed to clear Mr. Hagel’s nomination so he could get to work at the Pentagon, given national security issues around the world and pending budget cuts at home.
Republicans said they believed that a shaky performance by Mr. Hagel at his confirmation hearing and his past statements on Israel and a variety of other issues had disqualified him.Republicans said they believed that a shaky performance by Mr. Hagel at his confirmation hearing and his past statements on Israel and a variety of other issues had disqualified him.
John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Mr. Hagel’s worldview was “dangerously misguided,” and he warned that the nominee was ill prepared to handle such a major post. “I don’t think we want a secretary of defense that has to learn on the job,” he added. Earlier on Tuesday, John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Mr. Hagel’s worldview was “dangerously misguided,” and he warned that the nominee was ill prepared to handle such a major post. “I don’t think we want a secretary of defense that has to learn on the job,” he added.
But Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, accused Republicans of stalling the nomination earlier this month for political gain.But Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, accused Republicans of stalling the nomination earlier this month for political gain.
“What has their filibuster gained? Twelve days later, nothing has changed,” he said. “Senate Republicans have delayed for the better part of two weeks for one reason and one reason only: partisanship.”“What has their filibuster gained? Twelve days later, nothing has changed,” he said. “Senate Republicans have delayed for the better part of two weeks for one reason and one reason only: partisanship.”
The action in the Senate on Tuesday will help bring to a close one of the most unusually contentious cabinet-level nomination fights in years, a clash that surprised many in Washington for how personal and bitter it became considering that Mr. Hagel, a Republican senator for two terms, worked alongside many of his antagonists until just four years ago.The action in the Senate on Tuesday will help bring to a close one of the most unusually contentious cabinet-level nomination fights in years, a clash that surprised many in Washington for how personal and bitter it became considering that Mr. Hagel, a Republican senator for two terms, worked alongside many of his antagonists until just four years ago.
But even before Mr. Hagel takes office, questions are growing about whether the fight will wound his ability to lead the Pentagon at a time of upheaval both at home and overseas. With a series of huge budget cuts known as the sequester set to go into effect at the end of the week — cuts that will fall hard on the Defense Department if Congress cannot negotiate a compromise — Mr. Hagel will inherit myriad challenges.
Further, the tension between the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill will not end with Mr. Hagel’s confirmation. Republicans have already trained their sights on the next nominee they see as vulnerable: John O. Brennan, who is President Obama’s pick to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have threatened to hold up Mr. Brennan’s nomination over questions about the attack last year on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Both men made similar demands of Mr. Hagel, who, unlike Mr. Brennan, has had no role in formulating the Obama administration’s defense and national security policies.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has asked Mr. Brennan to answer questions about a topic that has been thrust to the forefront of the debate over national security: the government’s use of drones.
But even if a handful of vocal Republicans succeed in temporarily blocking Mr. Brennan, they face the reality that they are unlikely to be able to hold up his nomination indefinitely.
The Hagel vote came as the Finance Committee agreed by a margin of 19 to 5 that the Senate should confirm Mr. Obama’s nominee for Treasury secretary, Jack Lew, suggesting that the president’s cabinet picks were moving ahead.