[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DEFENSE NOMINATIONS

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, after Monday's shameful display by the 
Secretary of Defense, I voted against the President's nominees to be 
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities.
  The language of war has no place on American streets in the face of 
peaceful protests. Secretary Esper's dangerous comment that the 
military needs to ``dominate the battlespace''--referring to American 
cities--threatened the lives of American citizens exercising their 
constitutional rights. His willingness to accompany the President to a 
photo-op after gassing peaceful protesters underscores the moral rot in 
the Department's leadership.
  At this time, I have lost confidence that any nominee can be trusted 
to stand up to the President's attempts to weaponize the Defense 
Department for his personal and political ends. For that reason, I 
voted against his nominees in the Department.

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