Shaheen Statement on Voting Against Secretary of Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth Out of Senate Armed Services Committee

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on her vote against Pete Hegseth, nominee to be Secretary of Defense, out of the Armed Services Committee: 

“I voted against proceeding with the nomination of Mr. Hegseth out of committee because he did not alleviate my concerns about his lack of experience and qualifications during his confirmation hearing. If confirmed, I urge Mr. Hegseth to work across the aisle in good faith to safeguard our national defense and ensure the wellbeing of our service members and their families.” 

In a departure from a bipartisan tradition of meeting with committee members in both parties, Shaheen was not offered a meeting with Mr. Hegseth prior to the confirmation hearing. Since joining the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in 2011, Shaheen has met with and voted in support of six nominees to be Secretary of Defense from both parties. 

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