The Senate Armed Services Committee convened today to consider the nomination of two very important military officials--the next Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Admiral Mike Mullen (USN) and General James Cartwright (USMC) were present as the nominees for chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. Heaps of well-deserved praise were given to each officer for long and distinguished military careers; their families were also commended for their contributions. Both men answered questions about the future of our nation's military in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
From a leadership standpoint...
-Senator Carl Levin, democratic chairman of the committee, and Senator John Warner, ranking minority member (filling in for Senator John McCain), did a terrific job of guiding discussion and keeping an atmosphere largely free of accusatory and derogatory rhetoric, despite the difficulties both men will face in their new positions.
-Some of the youngest senators on the committee provided the most well-presented, thoughtful questioning of the morning--Senators Clare McCaskill (D, MO), Jim Webb (D, VA) and Mel Martinez (R, FL) brought up the tough questions that both candidates will have to face in their new positions. McCaskill delivered a poignant campaign on military accountability for civilian contractors--including a plea for answers about a young Missourian contractor kidnapped in Iraq last year; Webb discussed extending the forced retirement of military officers who previously served as enlisted to beyond 30 years; and Martinez brought up provisions to bring back the Navy's nuclear aircraft carriers--and with them, enhanced business and regional credibility--to Mayport Naval Base in Florida.
One of the quietly telling aspects of the meeting came when Senator Levin remarked about the presence of 13 senators in attendance at one point during the meeting, "It appears we have a quorum, so I would like to take this opportunity to approve 1,875 military nominations that have accumulated since our last quorum." The statement was met with a surprised murmur from the crowd--apparently attendance at Senate committees has been lacking lately.
See more details on today's commitee hearing on:
MSNBC
CNN
FOXNEWS
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing Full of Praise; Questions
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2 comments:
Were they chosen or was this just one step in the process?
How many committee members sit on this panel?
It might be nice to track the committee member's attendance record. Along that line, this tracking could be done with the House, and could be broken down to see if any trends exist between democrats, republicans, independents, etc.
Keep up the great work. We're all proud of you in Red Creek, NY!
Thank you for your post, rlm!
25 Senators sit on the Armed Services Committee, and you can find their names here: http://armed-services.senate.gov/members.htm.
As far as attendance goes, someone out there tracks it--I just don't know who. When we find that information out, we'll let you know, but you're right--it would definitely be interesting to track it to see who spends the most time at committee meetings and in the Chamber, and who lets their staffers do the "attending."
Thanks and we hope you continue to post!
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