WASHINGTON, D.C.–The next Secretary of Defense for the U.S. could be Dr. Ashton Carter, Pres. Obama’s pick for the job. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) has endorsed Carter by voting with the rest of the Senate Armed Forces Committee to move forward with his confirmation by the Senate.
The vote Tuesday to bring the confirmation to the full Senate for a vote was unanimous.
“I strongly support Ash Carter’s nomination to be Secretary of Defense,” said Wicker in a statement. “If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Carter will face many challenging situations. Our commander-in-chief has drawn lines in the sand without consequence, believes success in Afghanistan can be sustained without a residual U.S. force, and telegraphs weakness to adversaries and allies alike. We face diverse threats, from barbaric terrorist groups like ISIS to brazen Russian aggression, and we need someone who can capably assess these challenges. I look forward to working with Dr. Carter to address these complex threats and protect our national security interests.”
Wicker questioned Carter during an Armed Forces Committee hearing last week and seemed satisfied with answers brought by Carter on U.S. military strategy in the Ukraine, Asia and the Middle East.
Carter, a physicist, currently serves as a Dept. of Defense official and was deputy Sec. of Defense from 2011 to 2013. He would replace Chuck Hagel.
