SENATE VOTES TO CONFIRM PANETTA AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Senate colleagues today in unanimously confirming Leon Panetta as the next United States Secretary of Defense. Panetta’s nomination was approved unanimously by the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month.

“With his extensive experience in Congress, as White House Chief of Staff, and more recently as CIA Director, Mr. Panetta has demonstrated himself extremely well-qualified to become our next Secretary of Defense,” said Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee.  “Mr. Panetta enjoyed an incredibly productive tenure as CIA Chief, including the successful intelligence operation against Osama Bin Laden, and I am confident that his success will continue in this new critical role.”

Shaheen met with Panetta this past month and discussed the national security threats currently facing the United States and the role New Hampshire men and women are playing in protecting the nation. Shaheen also told Panetta that she was looking forward to working with him on furthering our nation’s defense priorities, the future of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and strengthening the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire.