Lloyd Austin to be the first black Defense Secretary in US history
Lawmakers in the House and Senate approved Lloyd Austin as the new defense secretary, giving the Pentagon its first Black secretary and ending weeks of debate over President Joe Biden’s choice of a former Army general for a job nearly always held by a civilian.
After each chamber on Thursday approved a waiver that allowed Austin to take the job just a few years after leaving active military service, the Senate confirmed him Friday morning in a 93-2 vote.
Austin is expected to be one of Biden’s closest advisers on foreign policy, especially on the issues of competing with China and reducing troop deployments in the Middle East. His appointment is a big step for a racially diverse federal institution whose leadership remains almost entirely white.
“In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency. He is a true and tested soldier and leader,” Biden said, adding that “Austin’s many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government are uniquely matched to the challenges and crises we face.”
He takes over the Defense Department, America’s largest employer, at a deeply complicated time for the military.
Austin retired from the armed forces in 2016 as a four-star general. In a statement, then-President Barack Obama praised Austin for his “wise judgment and steadfast leadership,” adding that he was certain that Austin “will find other ways to serve his country in retirement. “
Austin’s relatively recent departure from the military has been a sticking point for some lawmakers who argue that installing recently separated generals as the head of the Department of Defense threatens civilian control over the military. Congressional opposition to a waiver has been bipartisan.
During his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Austin sought to alleviate lawmakers’ concerns. He told congressional leaders that “the safety and security of our democracy demand competent civilian control of our armed forces, the subordination of military power to the civil.”
“I know that being a member of the president’s Cabinet – a political appointee – requires a different perspective and unique duties from a career in uniform,” he added.
“If confirmed, I will carry out the mission of the Department of Defense, always with the goal to deter war and ensure our nation’s security, and I will uphold the principle of civilian control of the military, as intended,” Austin said.
Austin also assured lawmakers that his defense-industry ties, specifically his connections to Raytheon, would not influence his decisions as defense secretary.
