SHAHEEN MEETS WITH CIA DIRECTOR LEON PANETTA TO DISCUSS HIS NOMINATION TO BE THE NEXT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

(Washington, D.C.)—U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, met today with Leon Panetta, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Obama Administration’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Defense. The two discussed his upcoming nomination hearing, as well as the security threats facing the United States, the future of our military, and the important role New Hampshire men and women are playing in securing our nation.    

“Leon Panetta has had a long history of service to our country and an incredibly productive tenure as director of the CIA, including the successful intelligence operation against Osama Bin Laden. Today I had the opportunity to congratulate him on his nomination and thank him for once again accepting a new challenge in his long career of government service,” Shaheen said. “During our meeting, we discussed some of the challenges he would face as Secretary of Defense, including the ongoing operations in Libya, as well as the difficult budget environment.  I was glad to raise the important role New Hampshire is playing in America’s national security, including the excellent work of New Hampshire’s National Guard, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and the state’s innovative defense manufacturing businesses. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I look forward to the consideration of his nomination.”

The pair discussed a variety of defense issues including the Osama bin Laden operation, the future of Libya, the need to find efficiencies and savings in the defense budget without putting American security at risk, and the critical importance of bipartisanship in national security issues.

Shaheen also discussed New Hampshire’s Deployment Cycle Support Program, a program where National Guard members and their families are assigned professional care coordinators who proactively check in on family members. 

President Barack Obama announced Panetta’s nomination to be the next Secretary of Defense on April 28th. His nomination confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled.