{"id":19415,"date":"2019-07-18T16:32:51","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T16:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/18\/sasc-approves-esper-and-milley-to-lead-pentagon-teeing-up-final-vote\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:21:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:21:42","slug":"sasc-approves-esper-and-milley-to-lead-pentagon-teeing-up-final-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2019\/07\/18\/sasc-approves-esper-and-milley-to-lead-pentagon-teeing-up-final-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate committee approves Esper and Milley to lead Pentagon, teeing up final vote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved President Donald Trump\u2019s picks to the Pentagon\u2019s top two spots: Army Secretary Mark Esper<\/a> for defense secretary and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley <\/a>for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panel confirmed the duo in separate voice votes Thursday during a closed meeting, which sets them up for Senate confirmation votes as soon as Thursday, but more likely next week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is expected to set the timing for their votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The action came as the Pentagon nears 200 days<\/a> without a permanent top leader, by far the longest absence in the history of the department. More than a dozen jobs there have no permanent occupant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m very pleased with Milley and Esper, and we need to get more [nominees],\u201d SASC Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said after exiting the meeting. “I\u2019ve said this to the White House so we can get more people to go through the [confirmation] process. I think we\u2019ve made some headway today in getting it done; we did it the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier in the day, Inhofe announced a SASC confirmation hearing for next Tuesday for Defense Department Comptroller David Norquist to become deputy defense secretary. Norquist has been performing those duties for the past several months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, confirmed she asked to be recorded voting \u201cno\u201d on Esper, and she intends to deny unanimous consent for a vote on Esper this week. Esper otherwise seems to have broad bipartisan support<\/a> in the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warren came out against Esper after he declined to agree to recuse himself from all matters related to the defense firm Raytheon, for whom he worked as a lobbyist for six years. She said during a testy exchange at his nomination hearing Tuesday that his nomination \u201csmacks of corruption, plain and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t