Langevin Statement on President-Elect Biden Nominating Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement regarding President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s announcement that he intends to nominate Lloyd Austin as the first African-American to serve as Secretary of Defense:

“I am excited that President-elect Biden has selected Lloyd Austin as the first African-American to be nominated for Secretary of Defense. Austin’s nomination is a signal to all service members and civilians that people of color have every business joining the military and becoming national security leaders. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, I know General Austin understands that the Department of Defense cannot operate on its own and that its actions must be nested in a whole of government approach. Austin served forty-one distinguished years as an Army Officer at almost every echelon within the Department of Defense.  A battle tested leader, Austin served in critical positions such as the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army and most notably as the Commander of United States Central Command.  Austin understands the importance of fighting as a coalition, and he ensured our servicemembers always fought alongside our allies and partners.

“However, General Austin has only been retired from the Army for four years at this point, and it would require an act of Congress to allow him to serve as the senior civilian at the Department of Defense. I firmly believe in civilian control and oversight of our military. In keeping with my position on granting a waiver for General Mattis, I believe there should be an open hearing on General Austin’s views of the civilian-military relationship before we vote to grant him a waiver to serve as the Secretary of Defense.  An open hearing will allow Austin to answer questions regarding the value of civilian expertise, his civilian background, his service, and his vision for the Department of Defense. Congress was not afforded this opportunity under the previous administration, and I hope that President-elect Biden will not repeat this mistake.”