Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who left the party multiple times to support former President Joe Biden's nominees, is the first Republican senator to publicly oppose Pete Hegseth's nomination for Secretary of Defense. It became.
Murkowski is one of several Senate Republicans rumored to be likely to vote “no” against Hegseth, and went public in a statement Thursday, citing Hegseth's past infidelities. He has made it clear that he cannot support his nomination due to character concerns related to accusations about his drinking habits. There are problems such as. Murkowski previously voted to support 12 Biden candidates in 2021, a field most Republicans opposed. According to In an interview with Alaska Public Media, they said they would vote for Biden about 64% of the time in 2023. According to Go to ABC News. (Related: President Trump promises to go to Alaska to campaign against 'disloyal' Sen. Murkowski)
Since Mr. Hegseth was appointed last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other relevant materials. I closely watched his hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantive feedback from a variety of organizations.
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) January 23, 2025
“Although he has recently revised his statements regarding female combatants since his nomination, we remain concerned about the message that Ms. Hegseth's confirmation sends to women currently serving and aspiring to join. Women serve our country with distinction, overcoming immeasurable obstacles to excel in combat and in leadership roles, and we want our leaders to respect their contributions to our country. You have a right to know that you are being evaluated,” Murkowski wrote in Thursday’s article. post “Although the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to allay my concerns, Mr. Hegseth's multiple admitted past acts (including extramarital affairs) are a sign of his failure as our leader. It shows a lack of judgment unbecoming of the military.” These actions are in stark contrast to the values and discipline expected of military personnel. Our men and women in uniform are held accountable for such acts and deserve to be leaders held to the same standards. ”
“Above all else, I believe that character is the characteristic we look for in a Secretary of Defense and must be prioritized without compromise. standards need to be demonstrated and modeled, and Mr. Confirming the Secretary of Defense is important given the global security environment in which we operate, but I support Mr. Hegseth. It’s a shame we can’t,” Murkowski concluded.
Murkowski says she cannot vote to confirm Hegseth, but I voted This is to support Biden's candidate, former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. During his time at the top of the Pentagon, Austin oversaw a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and then effectively disappeared for several days in January 2024 to deal with medical issues, which he also revealed to the White House. He also did not notify his deputy at the Pentagon in advance. According to multiple reports at the time.
Murkowski too supported Another Biden candidate, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, has continued to repeatedly target Alaska's economy with environmental rules and regulations whose agency severely impeded natural resource development.
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