U.S. Senator Gary Peters voted to oppose the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be U.S. Secretary of Defense.
The member of the Armed Services Committee and a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve explains his decision below:
“During my time in the U.S. Senate, I have voted for every Secretary of Defense who has come before me, regardless of which president nominated them, because they had the necessary experience, qualifications, and character to lead our nation’s defense, and because I fundamentally believe that protecting our national security is not a partisan issue.
“I deeply respect Pete Hegseth’s military service and his work advocating on behalf of our nation’s veterans. However, after reviewing his past professional experiences and hearing firsthand his lack of knowledge on basic issues impacting the Department of Defense, it’s clear to me that Pete Hegseth is unqualified for this position. The Defense Department employs nearly 3 million Americans and has an annual budget of roughly $850 billion. Pete Hegseth not only lacks the significant management experience needed to lead our largest federal agency, he grossly mismanaged two veterans service organizations, including one he was forced to step down from due to financial misconduct and creating a hostile work environment.
“Pete Hegseth has also publicly smeared the contributions of the many women who serve in our Armed Forces, and has made appalling comments about Muslim and Arab Americans. During my service in the U.S. Navy Reserve, I learned that military leaders at all levels must have the trust and respect of the servicemembers they are privileged to lead in order to be successful. I have serious doubts that someone who alienates many of the people who play a critical role in securing our nation can effectively lead one of our nation’s most diverse and professional organizations.
“Finally, I am dismayed that Mr. Hegseth refused to meet with me during the course of his confirmation process – breaking from a longstanding precedent that nominees from both parties have upheld. If he is unwilling to have a frank conversation about his positions and experience with members of Congress before he is confirmed to the job, I can only assume that he will be unwilling to work on a bipartisan basis going forward. That is unacceptable.
“There is broad, bipartisan consensus that we are facing one of the most dangerous times in American history. Threats from our adversaries like the Chinese and Russian governments continue to grow and evolve with every passing minute. I cannot in good conscience vote to hand over the reins to one of the most critical and complex organizations in our country to someone who lacks the character, experience, and expertise required to do the job.”
Peters is also a ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
He voted to advance Governor Kristi Noem’s nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security to the Senate floor for consideration and explains why below:
“I appreciate Governor Noem’s willingness to meet with me on several occasions prior to her confirmation hearing to discuss how she’ll guide the Department of Homeland Security to address some of the most important security issues facing Michigan. During her confirmation hearing, Governor Noem committed to ensuring that securing Michigan’s Northern Border remains a key priority as the Department continues to address the challenges at the Southern Border – including commitments to continue building out the Northern Border Mission Center I established through law and to staffing the customs plaza at the new Gordie Howe International Bridge.
“I also appreciated her comments about her plans to protect Michigan communities from terrorism, as well as her plans to focus on addressing cyber-attacks that threaten our economic and national security.
“During her confirmation hearing, I pressed Governor Noem to set aside partisan ideologies and to follow the facts when it comes to the threats our communities face – whether we’re talking about securing our borders, foreign and domestic terrorism, or even increasingly devastating natural disasters. Given her openness to working on a bipartisan basis to address these and other threats to our homeland security, I voted to advance her nomination out of committee and send it to the Senate floor for consideration.”
