{"id":15273,"date":"2019-06-14T17:07:37","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T17:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/14\/inside-the-process-of-confirming-a-defense-secretary-shanahan\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:27:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:27:13","slug":"inside-the-process-of-confirming-a-defense-secretary-shanahan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/06\/14\/inside-the-process-of-confirming-a-defense-secretary-shanahan\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the process of confirming a Defense Secretary Shanahan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 On May 9, the White House announced its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/05\/09\/trump-nominates-shanahan-as-next-defense-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\">intent to nominate<\/a> acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan for the full job. More than a month later, the Senate is still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/11\/why-its-taking-so-long-to-confirm-trumps-defense-secretary-choice\/\" target=\"_blank\">waiting for the nomination<\/a> to arrive on its desk, but that doesn\u2019t mean behind-the-scenes activity isn\u2019t happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a senior defense official, Shanahan\u2019s nomination is continuing forward but has been dragged along by a slow start to the process and the need to gather information going back decades, all while trying to handle the \u201cunique\u201d situation of managing the Department of Defense on a day-to-day basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shanahan was back roaming the Senate on Thursday, continuing to meet with members of the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of what is expected to be a formal delivery of his nomination sometime in the near future. Asked on camera by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thehill\/status\/1139242280085348353\" target=_blank>The Hill<\/a> about the nomination, Shanahan said: \u201cI\u2019m in contact with the White House, done with our paperwork. Expect to have the process completed here shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, President Donald Trump reiterated his belief that the nomination is on its way, telling \u201cFox and Friends\u201d that Shanahan has \u201cbeen recommended, now he has to be approved by Congress. We are going to see,\u201d adding: &#8220;We are going to see, Pat Shanahan has been recommended for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2019\/05\/15\/for-shanahan-looks-like-a-rocky-road-to-defense-secretary\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19074679643347.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">For Shanahan, it looks like a rocky road to defense secretary<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Key Democrats are signaling that Patrick Shanahan, the acting defense secretary who was informally nominated for the permanent role last week, will face tough questioning.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., made it clear earlier in the week that the delay isn\u2019t due to the panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would like to do it soon because I\u2019m the guy who has been yelling and screaming that we have to have this nomination confirmed,\u201d Inhofe said Tuesday when asked about Shanahan\u2019s status. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have him confirmed, all these people he is dealing with don\u2019t know if they are dealing with the right person. I have heard this personally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if the White House still supports Shanahan \u2014 despite an NBC News story <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/trump-may-be-having-second-thoughts-about-shanahan-defense-secretary-n1016326\" target=\"_blank\">earlier this week<\/a> that Trump has been considering other options \u2014 and Inhofe backs the nomination, what\u2019s actually taking so long?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As is so often the case, the answer is \u201cprocess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The senior defense official, speaking on background to a small group of reporters this week, explained that the process for a Shanahan nomination \u201cdid not get started as early as it could have, and that slowed things down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the official declined to go into more detail, it has been tradition that an expected nomination, as Shanahan\u2019s was, features a lot of rework before the announced intent to nominate is made formal. It is possible that didn\u2019t happen in this case, which would leave officials scrambling to do the heavy lifting on a nomination after the public announcement made by the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does that heavy lift look like? There are two major hurdles that traditionally need to be cleared before a nomination is sent to the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first is the FBI background check, which looks at things like past connections with foreign nationals or any criminal issues. Shanahan told The Hill he has \u201cno concerns\u201d with his FBI background check, and Inhofe said the check \u201ccould be really short on him because he went through a check not long ago. This shouldn\u2019t take long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4200\" height=\"2800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg 4200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19073573814087.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4200px) 100vw, 4200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., left, welcomes Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to testify on the Department of Defense budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the FBI background check for a Cabinet position is significantly tougher than for a non-Cabinet job, even one as involved as deputy secretary of defense. Per the defense official, the FBI background check for a Cabinet position goes back to age 18, as opposed to covering only the last decade. That has required Shanahan to travel back to his Seattle home for several days to gather old papers to document his past back to 1981.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second step is the Office of Government Ethics financial disclosure work, which is largely the same as was required for the deputy secretary position. That should go fairly quickly compared to the FBI work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>The Senate awaits<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aside from the legal requirements, a big part of preparing for a nomination is laying the groundwork with members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. As of Wednesday, Shanahan had met with 20 of the 27 committee members, and he was back in the Senate on Thursday meeting with more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generally, preparing for a Cabinet confirmation process can seem like a full-time job, and Shanahan has had to do it while managing the day-to day issues of the Pentagon\u2019s top job. Complicating things further, the timeline has coincided with a few major public speeches and meetings with foreign leaders, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2019\/06\/01\/shanahan-chinese-relationship-with-huawei-companies-is-a-security-risk-for-dod\/\" target=_blank>Shangri-La Dialogue<\/a> and an upcoming NATO meeting, that require their own in-depth briefings and preparations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shanahan\u2019s team is \u201ctrying to balance one of the hardest jobs in the world and getting confirmed for one of the hardest jobs in the world, and that\u2019s making us make choices a little bit differently,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/06\/05\/the-pentagons-no-3-official-needs-a-nomination-in-june-or-else\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hersman.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Pentagon\u2019s No. 3 official needs a nomination in June \u2014 or else<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lisa Hershman&#039;s time as acting chief management officer may be coming to a close.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whenever the nomination eventually drops, the Senate Armed Services Committee must wait seven days before taking it up for discussion. And every day longer the process takes, the greater the risk that the process runs up against an expected recess in July, which could drag things out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inhofe on Tuesday said getting the confirmation hearing finished and a full Senate vote scheduled before the July recess \u201cwould be pretty optimistic,\u201d but he is confident the work can be finished before August. What happens to that schedule should Shanahan run up against Democratic opposition, as expected, is up in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shanahan is not the only top defense official awaiting a nomination. It\u2019s expected that both acting Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist and acting Chief Management Officer Lisa Hershman will be given the nominations to keep their jobs full time, but it\u2019s unclear when they could receive those nominations. Additionally, Trump announced May 21 his intent to nominate former Aerospace Corporation Chairwoman Barbara Barrett as secretary of the Air Force, but that nomination hasn\u2019t reached the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other open spots include the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, and director of the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about these jobs, the defense official said there would be \u201cnews coming soon\u201d and that \u201cthings are moving\u201d to fill those spots.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patrick Shanahan expects to have his nomination &#8220;completed here shortly.&#8221; But what does that process entail?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":28991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"news"},"5":{"categories":["news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"news"}}},"categories":[8,160,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3378],"class_list":["post-15273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"YXU4UX6WEZFBTALVVPXDFD4HQE","arc_canonical_url":"\/pentagon\/2019\/06\/14\/inside-the-process-of-confirming-a-defense-secretary-shanahan\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Inside the process of confirming a Defense Secretary Shanahan - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Patrick Shanahan expects to have his nomination &quot;completed here shortly.&quot; But what does that process entail?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside the process of confirming a Defense Secretary Shanahan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Patrick Shanahan expects to have his nomination &quot;completed here shortly.&quot; But what does that process entail?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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