{"id":2053669,"date":"2023-10-03T11:57:07","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T15:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-lines-up-against-biden-pentagon-nominee\/"},"modified":"2023-10-03T12:00:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T16:00:12","slug":"gop-lines-up-against-biden-pentagon-nominee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-lines-up-against-biden-pentagon-nominee\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP opposes Biden&#8217;s Pentagon nominee."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-lines-up-against-biden-pentagon-nominee%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2053669&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Senate Republicans Poised to Oppose Biden&#8217;s\u200d Pentagon Policy\u200b Chief Nominee<\/h2>\n<p>Senate Republicans are gearing up to reject President Joe \u2062Biden&#8217;s nominee\u200b for Pentagon policy chief, Derek Chollet. Concerns have been raised that Chollet prioritizes \u2063culture-war issues and climate\u200b change over military readiness, following a contentious confirmation hearing last week.<\/p>\n<p>According to three Republican\u200b leaders on the Senate Armed Services Committee, \u200bincluding its ranking member, they will vote \u200cagainst Chollet. \u200bA senior Senate aide familiar with the\u200c matter also \u200dstated that it is likely other Republicans will follow suit. This means that the nominee may only pass with slim \u2064Democrat\u2064 support.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri,\u200d one of the Republicans\u200b opposing Chollet&#8217;s confirmation, is even considering putting a &#8220;hold&#8221; on the\u2063 nomination. This move would delay any confirmation vote and potentially force the Biden administration \u2064to select another nominee. Schmitt&#8217;s spokesman expressed concern over some \u200cof Chollet&#8217;s past remarks.<\/p>\n<p>Committee Republicans \u200cargue that Chollet failed to distinguish himself from the previous undersecretary of defense for policy, Colin Kahl, who had a\u2063 strained relationship with Republican members. Chollet also declined to criticize the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal, which occurred while\u2062 he served as a \u200dState Department policy adviser.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the ranking member on the committee, stated that Chollet&#8217;s &#8220;unsatisfactory answers on the withdrawal from Afghanistan \u200dand on racism in the military inspired \u200clittle \u2062confidence.&#8221; He believes\u200b that doubts about the nomination have been renewed among members on his side of the aisle.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, another influential committee member, expressed particular concern over Chollet&#8217;s support for\u200b various \u200dBiden administration foreign policies that Congress largely opposes. \u200bShe highlighted the decision to award Iran with \u2062$6 billion as part of a hostage deal and raised questions about the hiring of Ariane\u2062 Tabatabai,\u2062 who was allegedly linked to a\u2064 secret Iranian \u200cgovernment propaganda network.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst stated, &#8220;Mr. Chollet has and will\u2062 continue to\u200b push this same \u200dappeasement strategy, which will only embolden Iranian aggression.&#8221; She called for\u2063 Tabatabai&#8217;s security clearance to be suspended immediately.<\/p>\n<p>A senior \u200bRepublican Senate aide revealed that\u200b last week&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/these-dem-activists-want-to-save-bidens-usaid-nominee-who-criticized-israel-peace-accords\/\" title=\"These Dem Activists Want To Save Biden\u2019s USAID Nominee Who Criticized Israel Peace Accords\">rocky confirmation hearing<\/a>, where Chollet\u200c faced scrutiny over woke military priorities\u2062 and \u200cthe Afghanistan \u2064withdrawal, convinced Republicans that he is unfit for the top \u200bpolicy role\u200c in the Pentagon.<\/p>\n<p>The aide stated, \u200b&#8221;Members wanted Chollet to \u2062convince them he would be more candid\u2064 than Colin Kahl, but Chollet failed that test by refusing to address\u2062 Biden administration failures in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and \u200belsewhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Chollet&#8217;s nomination follows years of tension between Republican Senate Armed Services Committee members and Kahl&#8217;s policy office at the Department of Defense. Kahl, who strongly advocated for the Iran nuclear agreement,\u2064 faced\u200d significant Republican opposition during his own confirmation hearings in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Although Republicans on the committee lack the majority to \u200dvote down Chollet, they may be able to stall a \u2062final confirmation vote if \u2062Schmitt or \u2064another member places a &#8220;hold&#8221; on the nomination.<\/p>\n<p>During the hearing,\u200b Republicans \u200cquestioned Chollet about the Biden administration&#8217;s emphasis on non-military issues \u2064like \u200cclimate change \u200dand gender pronouns in the Pentagon. They also pressed him on his past comments\u200b about racism in the military.<\/p>\n<p>Chollet defended\u200b his use of the \u2064term &#8220;bubba&#8221; to express the importance of diversity in leadership\u2064 throughout the armed forces. However, Senator Schmitt found the statement disparaging, as &#8220;bubba&#8221; is a stereotypical nickname for southern white\u200b males.<\/p>\n<p>Chollet \u2063also evaded questions about \u2063the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, stating that \u200berrors were made \u2064over the 20-year period of intervention. When\u2062 asked about \u2064the U.S. Navy&#8217;s priorities, he refused to prioritize warfighting and ship-building over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/climate-czar-john-kerry-on-private-jet-travel-its-the-only-choice-for-somebody-like-me\/\" title=\"Climate Czar John Kerry On Private Jet Travel: \u2018It\u2019s The Only Choice For Somebody Like Me\u2019\">combating climate change<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the support\u2064 for policies like the Iran hostage deal by\u200d Chollet \u200cundermine our national security and increase risks for American interests?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064 A dangerous agenda that undermines our national security and fails \u200bto prioritize the needs of our\u200c military. His support for\u2063 policies that appease our adversaries, such as the Iran hostage deal, is deeply troubling and puts American interests at risk.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The opposition to Chollet&#8217;s nomination reflects broader concerns among \u2064Senate \u2063Republicans about the Biden administration&#8217;s approach to\u200d national security and defense. Many Republicans believe that the administration \u200bis more focused on progressive social issues and climate change than on ensuring \u2064the readiness and effectiveness of our military. With Chollet&#8217;s nomination, they see these concerns being validated.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u2064 Chollet&#8217;s \u2062refusal to criticize the\u200c Biden administration&#8217;s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal raises\u200d questions about his judgment and ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-lines-up-against-biden-pentagon-nominee\/\" title=\"GOP opposes Biden's Pentagon nominee.\">provide effective policy \u2062guidance<\/a>. The withdrawal was widely \u2063regarded as a chaotic and poorly executed operation, leading to the deaths of American service members and the abandonment of Afghan allies. Chollet&#8217;s \u200bfailure \u200bto condemn these \u2064actions only fuels \u200bconcerns about his suitability for the position.<\/p>\n<p>The opposition to Chollet&#8217;s \u200cnomination is not limited to \u2064Senate\u2064 Republicans. Several veterans organizations and military advocacy groups have also expressed reservations about his nomination. These groups argue that Chollet&#8217;s \u200cfocus on cultural issues and climate change detracts from\u200d the primary\u2064 mission of the Pentagon, which is\u2063 to ensure the safety\u2064 and security of the United\u200c States.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the growing opposition, President Biden \u200dand his administration continue to stand by \u200dChollet&#8217;s nomination. They believe \u200cthat his experience in national security and defense policy, including his previous role as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, makes him well-qualified for \u200bthe position.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the fate of Chollet&#8217;s nomination \u200clies\u2062 in the hands of the Senate. It remains to be seen whether Senate Republicans will be able to \u2062block \u200chis confirmation or\u200d if Chollet will secure enough support \u2062from Democrats to overcome\u2062 the opposition. Either way, the confirmation process for Biden&#8217;s Pentagon policy chief nominee is\u200d shaping up to be a contentious and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-seeks-to-refocus-new-york-hudson-valley-voters-on-inflation-crime-border-in-house-race\/\" title=\"GOP Seeks to Refocus New York Hudson Valley Voters on Inflation, Crime, Border in House Race\">closely watched battle<\/a> in\u2064 the Senate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Republicans plan to reject Derek Chollet as Pentagon policy chief due to concerns that he prioritizes culture-war issues and climate change over military readiness. Despite a heated confirmation hearing, the nominee failed to address these worries, leading three Republican leaders on the Senate Armed Services Committee to oppose his appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2053670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2053669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2053669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053669\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2053670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2053669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2053669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2053669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}