Washington, D.C. – Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) today released the following statement after voting to support the waiver which would confirm General Lloyd Austin III as the next Secretary of Defense:

“General Austin has been retired from the Army for almost five years and will provide strong leadership to our nation’s military. His 40-years of military experiences all over the globe and leading joint forces will help him overcome the security challenges we face today. Civilian control of the military will not be undermined, and we’ll have a strong leader at the helm of the Department of Defense. Just as I voted for the waiver allowing General Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense, I felt the same vote was justified here. In addition, I look forward to welcoming General Austin as the first African-American Secretary of Defense.”

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