{"id":18859,"date":"2019-07-23T16:38:10","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T16:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/23\/esper-confirmed-as-new-defense-secretary-ending-pentagon-leadership-uncertainty\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:20:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:20:58","slug":"esper-confirmed-as-new-defense-secretary-ending-pentagon-leadership-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2019\/07\/23\/esper-confirmed-as-new-defense-secretary-ending-pentagon-leadership-uncertainty\/","title":{"rendered":"Esper confirmed as new defense secretary, ending Pentagon leadership uncertainty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Mark Esper to be the country\u2019s 27th defense secretary, ending a wait of more than 200 days for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/07\/15\/navy-secretary-temporarily-takes-over-pentagons-top-job-ahead-of-esper-confirmation-hearing\/\" target=_blank>a permanent Pentagon leader<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2019\/07\/18\/sasc-approves-esper-and-milley-to-lead-pentagon-teeing-up-final-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\">Esper\u2019s relatively drama-free confirmation vote<\/a> \u2014 90-8 \u2014 stood in contrast to the seven months of uncertainty in the highest levels of the military\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/20\/mattis-out-defense-secretary-says-his-views-no-longer-aligned-with-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\">former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis<\/a> was forced out of his post early on the first day of 2019, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan helmed the department until he suddenly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/18\/shanahan-out-acting-defense-secretary-withdraws-his-confirmation-bid\/\" target=\"_blank\">withdrew from consideration for the full-time job<\/a> in June amid reports of domestic violence among his family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/07\/16\/can-mark-esper-save-dod-senators-sure-hope-so\/\" 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\/Esper_1.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\">Can Mark Esper save DoD? Senators sure hope so.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Army Secretary Mark Esper could be confirmed as the new defense secretary early as Thursday.<\/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\">Esper, who until then had served as Army secretary for since late 2017, bounced between that job and the acting defense secretary job over the last five weeks. Lawmakers and military officials expressed concerns over the temporary, unclear leadership in recent months, especially as other top military posts were vacated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tuesday\u2019s vote ends the longest period the Defense Department has gone without a permanent, confirmed leader since it became a Cabinet-level agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said ahead of the vote Tuesday that Esper is \u201cbeyond qualified\u201d for the top military job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;His record of public service is beyond impressive,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cHis commitment to serving our service members is beyond obvious. And the need for a Senate-confirmed secretary of defense is beyond urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., offered similar praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not very often we have someone that is enthusiastically supported by Republicans, by Democrats, and he is obviously the right person,\u201d he said. \u201cHe has the trust of our president, the trust of our military, the trust of Congress and the country to keep our nation safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only sharp opposition to Esper\u2019s nomination came from Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Senate Armed Services Committee member and 2020 presidential hopeful, who grilled Esper over his ties to his former employer, Raytheon.<\/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\/07\/15\/pentagon-nominee-esper-a-former-raytheon-lobbyist-must-extend-recusal\/\" 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_19189727094404.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\">Pentagon nominee Esper, a former Raytheon lobbyist, must extend recusal, says Warren<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for defense secretary must \u201ctake additional steps\u201d to wall himself off from his previous role as the top lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren.<\/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\">But since President Donald Trump announced Esper\u2019s nomination last month, Democrats and Republicans have mostly offered effusive praise for Esper as the right candidate for the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Esper\u2019s confirmation hearing last week, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., lauded Esper for hosting him and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., for an unvarnished look at problematic Army housing in Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat willingness to show personal accountability was very, very impressive,\u201d Kaine said. \u201cHe\u2019s been proactive and he\u2019s been transparent. &#8230; And I think those are trademarks of exceptional leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Work ahead<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper, a West Point graduate and former Army lieutenant colonel, was vice president of government relations for Raytheon \u2014 the third-largest defense contractor in the United States \u2014 for seven years before becoming Army secretary. His most notable work leading the Army included a shake-up of the service\u2019s acquisitions portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He inherits a military charged with following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/breaking-news\/2018\/01\/19\/national-defense-strategy-released-with-clear-priority-stay-ahead-of-russia-and-china\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Defense Strategy\u2019s<\/a> focus on competition with Russia and China but still grappling with Iran tensions, politically charged troop deployments on America\u2019s southern border and pressure from Trump to exit Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The American Enterprise Institute\u2019s Rick Berger said the leadership vacuum after Mattis has left the Pentagon \u201cadrift.\u201d Esper would be wise to reset relationships with Capitol Hill and the press, who have both grumbled at a lack of engagement, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe department has never been more timid about telling its story to the public or to Capitol Hill, a legacy of Secretary Mattis and his caretaker successor,\u201d Berger 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\/congress\/2019\/06\/28\/senate-shoots-down-attempt-to-curb-trumps-iran-war-powers\/\" 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=\"243\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1158825820.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\">Senate shoots down attempt to curb Trump\u2019s Iran war powers<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Senate\u2019s Republican majority defeated a war authorization measure Friday meant to bar President Donald Trump from launching a military strike against Iran without Congress\u2019s permission.<\/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\">Loren DeJong Schulman, a deputy director at the Center for a New American Security, said Esper\u2019s priorities will be to fill the department\u2019s widespread leadership vacancies, to dig into the fiscal 2021 budget process and to assert himself in decisions regarding tension with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;In doing so, he has the opportunity to reorient some troubling trends in the Pentagon, such as the growing absence of transparency with the press, Hill, and American people, and the dominance of the Joint Staff in what should be political-military policy debates,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEsper is also fighting a White House policy process driven by presidential tweet and instinct, without a responsible deliberate process. Like Mattis, Esper can insist on better cross-agency deliberation to develop policy ideas that support the president&#8217;s objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senators will move onto the next Pentagon leadership vacancy tomorrow when they hold a confirmation hearing for David Norquist to be deputy secretary of defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has already nominated Ryan McCarthy to replace Esper as secretary of the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawmakers are also pressing Trump to move quickly on naming candidates for other key Pentagon leadership vacancies, including a new Air Force secretary, a new Defense Department comptroller (Norquist\u2019s current job), and a new undersecretary for personnel and readiness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pentagon had gone more than 200 days without a permanent 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