Shaheen Statement on the Resignation of Secretary Mattis

(Washington, DC) — U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Armed Services Committee and the only woman serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in response to the resignation of General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense.

“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to Secretary Mattis for his long distinguished career of service to our nation, and I’m very disappointed that he will no longer be serving within this administration,” said Shaheen. “I also have appreciated his attentiveness to concerns that I’ve raised related to national security and issues important to New Hampshire. Secretary Mattis has been a voice of reason, drawing from his deep knowledge of the threats our nation faces. I fear that Secretary Mattis’ departure from this administration will lead to more erratic and reckless decision-making by the Commander in Chief. I am deeply concerned about our national security and the state of our fundamental strategic alliances, and I hope the President will take Secretary Mattis’ parting words to heart. The President’s foreign policy, which is so often announced by tweets, is undermining our nation’s standing in the world. The course we are on is unsustainable.”