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February 13, 2013

Senate Panel Advances Hagel Nomination 
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The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to advance Chuck Hagel's
defense secretary nomination to a full Senate vote. The vote was held
along party lines, with Senator Carl Levin among the Democrats backing
Hagel and Senator Lindsey Graham among the Republicans opposed.

Sen. Carl Levin: "If there is a risk here, it is that the defeat of this
nomination will leave the Department of Defense leaderless at a time
when we face immense budgetary challenges and our military is engaged in
combat operations overseas. Such an absence of senior leadership would
be unlikely to benefit either our national defense or our men and women
in uniform."

Sen. Lindsey Graham: "The next secretary of defense is going to have to
deal with a world on fire, and I just believe that the testimony of
Senator Hagel was not reassuring. I don't think he did come across clear
and convincing that he understood our policies toward Iran."

 

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