[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3952-S3955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        NOMINATION OF LEON E. PANETTA TO BE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to the consideration of the following nomination, which the 
clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Leon E. Panetta, of 
California, to be Secretary of Defense.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2 
hours of debate, equally divided, between the two leaders or their 
designees.
  The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I understand there is a time agreement on 
this nomination; is that correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct--2 hours of debate, 
equally divided.
  Mr. LEVIN. I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield myself 10 
minutes.
  Mr. President, the nomination of Leon Panetta to be Secretary of 
Defense is a wise and a solid nomination. Director Panetta has given 
decades of dedicated public service to this Nation, and we should all 
be grateful he is once again willing to answer the call and take the 
helm at the Department of Defense. We are also grateful to his wife 
Sylvia for her significant sacrifices over the last 50 years in 
supporting Leon Panetta's efforts in the public and private sectors.
  When Mr. Panetta appeared before the Armed Services Committee at his 
nomination hearing, all of our Members commented invariably in the same 
way--reflecting the view that we are grateful Mr. Panetta is willing to 
take on this position. He is going to bring a reassuring level of 
continuity and in-depth experience. He has been a critical member of 
President Obama's national security team during his tenure as Director 
of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Department of Defense will need 
Director Panetta's skill and his wisdom to navigate the extraordinarily 
complex set of challenges in the years ahead.
  Foremost among those demands are the demands on our Armed Forces, and 
these are exemplified by the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
Between those two conflicts, we continue to have approximately 150,000 
troops deployed. The U.S. military is also providing support to NATO 
operations to protect the Libyan people. In addition, even after the 
extraordinary raid that killed Osama bin Laden, we face potential 
terrorist threats against us and against our allies which emanate from 
Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and other places.
  The risk of a terrorist organization getting their hands on and 
detonating an improvised nuclear device or other weapon of mass 
destruction remains one of the gravest possible threats to the United 
States. To counter that threat, the Defense Department is working with 
the Departments of State, Energy, Homeland Security, and other U.S. 
Government agencies to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, 
fissile materials, and dangerous technologies. As Secretary of Defense, 
Director Panetta's leadership in this area will be of vital importance. 
Here again, it is that experience as Director of the CIA which will be 
so invaluable.
  In the coming weeks, President Obama and his advisers will face a 
number of key national security decisions. While the drawdown of U.S. 
forces in Iraq remains on track, there have been recent signs of 
instability in that country. As a result, it is possible that Iraq's 
political leadership may ask for some kind of continuing U.S. military 
presence beyond the December 31 withdrawal deadline which was agreed to 
by President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki in the 2008 Security 
Agreement.
  Another key decision point is looming in Afghanistan regarding 
reductions in U.S. forces starting next month. President Obama said the 
other day:

       It's now time for us to recognize that we have accomplished 
     a big chunk of our mission and that it's time for Afghans to 
     take more responsibility.

  The President also said a few months ago that the reductions starting 
next month will be ``significant.'' Hopefully, they will be. Director 
Panetta, while not assigning a specific number, agreed they need to be 
significant. A significant reduction in our troop level this year would 
send a critical signal to Afghan leaders that we mean it when we say 
our commitment is not open-ended and that they need to be urgently 
focused on preparing Afghanistan's security forces to assume security 
responsibility for all of Afghanistan. The more that Afghan security 
forces do that, the better the chances of success because the Taliban's 
biggest nightmare is facing a large, effective Afghan Army--an army 
which is already respected by the Afghan people, but now, hopefully--
and soon--in control of Afghanistan's security.
  Another major issue facing the Department is the stress that 10 years 
of unbroken war has placed on our Armed Forces. Over the last decade, 
many of our service men and women have been away from their families 
and homes for multiple tours. Not only is our force stressed, so are 
our military families. We owe them our best efforts to reduce the 
number of deployments and increase the time between deployments.
  The next Secretary of Defense will have to struggle with the 
competing demands on our forces while Washington struggles with an 
extremely challenging fiscal environment. The

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Defense budget will not and should not be exempt from cuts. But 
Congress, working with the next Secretary of Defense, will need to 
scrub each Defense program and expenditure and make the tough choices 
and tradeoffs between our war fighters' requirements today and 
preparations for the threats of tomorrow.
  Last week, the Armed Services Committee marked up the fiscal year 
2012 National Defense Authorization Act. The committee cut about $6 
billion from the President's budget request. However, the President has 
decided to reduce the national security budgets for the next 12 years 
by $400 billion. What we don't know is how much of that $400 billion he 
will recommend to come from the Defense budget and how much from the 
intelligence and homeland security budgets or how much is recommended 
to be in the first of that 12-year period--fiscal year 2012.
  The Nation is fortunate that Director Panetta's compelling record of 
achievement and experience is well suited to the demands of the 
position of the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Panetta is the right person 
to help our military through the fiscal challenges that confront this 
Nation. His service as President Clinton's Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget is invaluable because he understands the budget 
process and because he shaped the decisions that helped achieve the 
budget surpluses of the late 1990s.
  Leon Panetta has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to reach across 
party lines and work in a bipartisan spirit since entering public 
service 45 years ago. He worked on the staff of the Republican whip in 
the Senate and headed the Office of Civil Rights in the Nixon 
administration. He later won election to the House of Representatives 
as a Democrat, where he served 16 years, earning the respect of his 
peers and becoming the chairman of the House Budget Committee.
  Throughout his time in public service, Leon Panetta has been guided 
by a clear moral compass. He has said:

       In politics there has to be a line beyond which you don't 
     go--the line that marks the difference between right and 
     wrong, what your conscience tells you is right. Too often 
     people don't know where the line is. My family, how I was 
     raised, my education, all reinforced my being able to see 
     that line.

  Leon Panetta has been intimately involved in the most pressing 
national security issues of our time. During his tenure as Director of 
the Central Intelligence Agency, President Obama turned to Director 
Panetta to personally oversee the manhunt for Osama bin Laden and the 
awe-inspiring operation that brought an end to al-Qaida's murderous 
leader and provided a measure of relief to the families and friends who 
have suffered since September 11, 2001. The raid on the bin Laden 
compound epitomizes the way in which the CIA and the Defense Department 
are finally working together to support each other in counterterrorism 
operations, and Director Panetta deserves credit for this close 
coordination.
  Before concluding, I wish to pass along my gratitude and deep 
admiration for the man who is stepping down as head of the Department 
of Defense, Secretary Robert Gates. Secretary Gates has provided 
extraordinary service to this country, spanning the administrations of 
eight Presidents. Four and a half years ago, he left the comfort and 
rewards of private life, following a long career in government, to once 
again serve the critical post of President Bush's Secretary of Defense 
at one of the most difficult times in recent history. Throughout his 
tenure, across the Bush and Obama administrations, Secretary Gates' 
leadership, judgment, and candor have earned him the trust and respect 
of all who have worked with him.
  Secretary Gates has combined vision and thoughtfulness with 
toughness, clarity and courageous decisionmaking. Secretary Gates 
established a direct and open relationship with Congress and with our 
Senate Armed Services Committee in particular. As chairman of that 
committee, I will always be personally grateful for that.
  Secretary Gates' tenure as Secretary of Defense will be judged by 
history to have been truly exceptional. So our next Secretary of 
Defense will have enormous responsibilities but also big shoes to fill. 
I am confident Leon Panetta is the right person to take on that 
challenge, and I urge our colleagues to support this nomination.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, I suggest the absence of a quorum, 
and I ask unanimous consent that any time consumed during the quorum 
call be equally divided.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of President 
Obama's nominee to serve as our 23rd Secretary of Defense, Mr. Leon 
Panetta. These are big shoes to fill. Secretary Gates has had a 
remarkable term as Secretary and a remarkable career in public service. 
In addition, the challenges our military faces in this economic climate 
are significant. We must have a serious discussion about crafting a 
sustainable way forward.
  I sat down with Director Panetta earlier this month to discuss these 
challenges. I can say with certainty, Leon Panetta is up to the test. 
He has the experience and wisdom required, and I look forward to 
working with him once the Senate gives its advice and consent to his 
nomination.
  I have known Leon Panetta for a long time. We served together in the 
House of Representatives, and we worked together in government for many 
years. He has an amazing history of public service to America. We 
served together on the House Budget Committee when we were both 
Congressmen in the early 1990s, and he chaired that committee. He 
understands budgets and the challenges they present.
  As Director of the Office of Management and Budget, he took that 
skill to the executive branch; and as Chief of Staff to President 
William Jefferson Clinton, he crafted the proposal which brought us to 
balance in our budget as a nation.
  It is hard to imagine it was only 10 years ago that we had a balanced 
Federal budget. In fact, we were generating a surplus, putting that 
money into the Social Security trust fund to make it stronger. Ten 
years later, mired deep in debt, it is hard to imagine that happened, 
but it did, and Leon Panetta was a big part of that occurrence.
  He advised President George W. Bush on how to bring a close to the 
Iraq war in a responsible way. For the last 2 years he has had an 
awesome responsibility as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
  Thanks to the President's strategic focus and Director Panetta's 
extraordinary leadership, Special Forces and CIA operatives were able 
to locate and capture Osama bin Laden last month in Pakistan. These are 
precisely the skills and experiences we need at the table at this 
moment.
  I know Leon Panetta as more than just a fellow colleague in the House 
and a person who shared some time in public service when I did. I know 
him as a person. I know his family. I know what he thinks. I know his 
values. I have to tell you, President Obama and America are fortunate 
to have a person of this quality who is willing to give even more of 
his life in public service. He could have stayed out in Monterey, CA, 
his home area, and no hardship assignment, but he chose not to. He came 
to Washington to head up the Central Intelligence Agency and now has 
accepted this invitation to head up the Department of Defense. There is 
no question in my mind that he will bring to it an extraordinary skill 
level and amazing values.
  Director Panetta and I have talked a little bit about some subjects, 
and one near and dear to my heart, the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is 
legislation I introduced almost 10 years ago allowing immigrant 
students who have no country an opportunity to contribute to America. 
These young people came to the United States with their parents when 
they were just kids and infants. They have lived here all their lives. 
All they want is a chance to prove how much they love this country. The 
bill I introduced said there are two ways they should be allowed to do 
it: No. 1, to complete at least 2 years of college, to have, obviously, 
a high school diploma and good background; but another, to serve in our 
Nation's military.

[[Page S3954]]

  I have been proud to have the support of Secretary of Defense Gates 
in this effort, and I look forward to the same support from the next, 
Secretary Panetta. The DREAM Act would strengthen our military and 
strengthen our Nation, and I am sure, as General Colin Powell has said, 
``Immigration is what's keeping this country's lifeblood moving 
forward.'' These young people can help us move forward as a nation to 
be safer and create more opportunity.
  We have a number of challenges ahead. Our men and women are fighting 
wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya. Servicemembers and their 
families have borne an incredible burden of sacrifice in these 
conflicts over the last decade. As a nation, we are spending tens of 
billions of dollars a month to sustain them in their efforts.
  At the same time, public support for these undertakings will not last 
forever. The current situation needs to change, and the President is 
about to make an announcement when it comes to our troop levels in 
Afghanistan. We have to craft a way forward and deal honestly and 
responsibly with what is possibly one of our most challenging 
situations in Afghanistan. I believe it has to begin with a substantial 
redeployment of U.S. troops back to America from Afghanistan.
  Last week I joined Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and 24 of my 
colleagues in a letter to the President expressing these concerns. I 
trust the President and incoming Secretary of Defense and Congress can 
find a responsible path forward. We need to take a hard look at every 
aspect of our Federal budget, including our Department of Defense, to 
sustain our men and women in uniform but not to waste money on 
privatization, on contractors, and on runaway contracts.
  As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen has 
commented that our greatest national security threat is our ballooning 
deficit. Of course, we need to protect our country, but we need to do 
it in a fiscally responsible manner. Even as we address the path 
forward in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, even as we trim the spending 
in the defense budget, we will not back away from our commitment to the 
men and women in uniform. I know Leon shares that statement.
  I support Leon Panetta as our next Secretary of Defense because now 
more than ever we need his steady hand, his leadership, to tackle these 
challenges in budgets, in management, and in the critical conflicts we 
are engaged in around the world. I congratulate President Obama for 
selecting Leon Panetta for this awesome responsibility, and I look 
forward to working with him on these issues and others in the years to 
come.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong support 
for the nomination of Leon Panetta as the next Secretary of Defense. 
Director Panetta comes to this job at an extraordinarily challenging 
time for the Department of Defense and for our Nation. Among the many 
issues he will confront, Mr. Panetta will oversee the completion of our 
direct military operations in Iraq, the beginning of the transition of 
our forces out of Afghanistan, the enhancement of our cyber defenses, 
and the reduction of our defense budget.
  I have known Leon Panetta for many years, and I know he is 
particularly well suited to address all of these challenges. He is a 
man of great intellect, of great decency, and great determination.
  At the end of this year, for example, in compliance with the Status 
of Forces Agreement, we will complete the withdrawal of our forces from 
Iraq and hand over primary responsibility for our ongoing relationship 
with Iraq to the Department of State. It remains to be seen whether the 
Iraqi Government will ask us to extend our military presence past 
December 31. But for now, we are thoroughly and determinately preparing 
our troops to leave. Having served as a member of the Iraq Study Group, 
Mr. Panetta certainly understands the importance of this transition and 
will carry it out.
  As the next Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta will also continue to 
focus our efforts on fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We 
are facing a critical turning point in our operations. This week, we 
expect President Obama to announce his plan to begin reducing our force 
levels in Afghanistan this summer, a commitment he made in his speech 
at West Point in 2009.
  Along with the reduction in forces we must sustain the security gains 
that we have accomplished during the past year and further build the 
capacity of the Afghan forces so they are able to take full 
responsibility for their own security. Mr. Panetta understands how 
important it is for all of our agencies to work together in this effort 
and all security missions; that using military force may be our primary 
weapon of securing areas but enduring success comes from coordination 
among the intelligence and law enforcement communities, from effective 
diplomacy, and from assistance programs administered by the Department 
of State and the USAID.
  The conditions on the ground in Afghanistan are directly related to 
our ability to successfully attack the terrorist networks that are 
operating along the border in Pakistan. In his current position as 
Director of the CIA, Mr. Panetta has reinvigorated these efforts, most 
notably with the successful raid on Osama bin Laden. Indeed, I believe 
when history looks back, outside of the critical and ultimate decision 
by the President of the United States, one of the most important roles 
played in this effort to prepare the way for those courageous SEALs was 
the steady leadership of Leon Panetta at the Central Intelligence 
Agency. He understands the complexities of our relationship with 
Pakistan and, indeed, throughout the world. This expertise will be 
critical as we move forward, and critical for our next Secretary of 
Defense.
  He will also lead the Department of Defense in preparing for the 
emerging threats to our national security, such as attacks to our cyber 
infrastructure. Indeed, every branch of government is working to define 
the roles various organizations will play in protecting people, 
infrastructure, and information within cyberspace.
  During his confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services 
Committee, I discussed with Director Panetta the strategy the 
Department of Defense would employ in confronting the potential of a 
cyber attack against the United States. He responded in no uncertain 
terms. His words:

       I have often said that there is a strong likelihood that 
     the next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a 
     cyberattack that cripples our power system, our grid, our 
     security systems, our financial systems, our governmental 
     systems. This is a real possibility in today's world. And as 
     a result, I think we have to aggressively be able to counter 
     that.

  Indeed, Mr. Panetta understands the future as well as the present, 
and he will bring his experience as well as his vision to bear on the 
emerging challenges that face the United States.
  Perhaps most challenging of all, Leon Panetta will lead the 
Department at a time of great fiscal constraints. As our Nation 
continues to find a path forward to rebound from the economic 
challenges of the last few years, there is an ever-growing pressure to 
reduce the size of the defense budget, which has nearly doubled over 
the past 10 years. But we must be careful to do so in a way that 
removes unsustainable costs without losing vital capability.
  As a result of the high operational tempo and the duration of 
multiple overseas operations, all of our services are facing serious 
reset and recapitalization needs. Serious decisions will have to be 
made to ensure that we have the right systems in place to meet the 
threats we face, all at a price level that we can afford.
  Having served as the House Budget Committee chairman, and as the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, there is no one who 
has more knowledge, more experience, more sense of the details than 
Leon Panetta, and I believe he is the most well qualified individual to 
tackle the huge budgetary issues that are facing the Department of 
Defense.
  Leon will have an extraordinary role to play, particularly in the 
wake of the extraordinary service of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. 
I can't think of anyone I respect or admire more. I can't think of 
anyone who has served this country with more distinction,

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who has served with more selfless dedication to the Nation, and 
fundamentally who has made his decisions knowing full well that at the 
end of the day young Americans in the uniform of the United States will 
carry out his orders.
  Bob Gates has done a superb job. But I have every confidence that 
Leon Panetta will continue to carry on, will continue to meet those 
standards, will continue to lead the Department of Defense with 
distinction, with dedication and great loyalty, just as Secretary Gates 
has done, and ultimately we will know that at the end of all the 
decisions emanating from the Pentagon there is a young American willing 
and able and ready to serve, to support this Nation and defend it.
  With that, I rise to express my great support for Secretary-designee 
Panetta and wish him well in all of his endeavors and pledge to work 
with him closely.
  I yield the floor.
  I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Franken). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, first of all, I rise in total support of 
Mr. Leon Panetta as the new Secretary of Defense. He is an outstanding 
public servant who has served in many capacities and he has been a 
tremendous leader in every role he has held.