Still No Defense Secretary? That’s a Scandal.
Four months on, the president hasn’t even nominated anyone. But he’s not the only one to blame.
Enough already.
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/AFP
We’ve hit another milestone in irresponsible government: May 1 marks four full months during which the U.S. has had only an acting secretary of defense, with no one nominated for the formal position. The previous record was one day. It’s a disgrace. Or, rather, going three weeks with only an acting secretary of homeland security — as Donald Trump’s administration is also currently doing — is a disgrace. We’ve gone way beyond that at the Pentagon.
But instead of talking about Trump, this time, let’s focus on the other people responsible: members of the U.S. Congress. After all, the confirmation process is one of the main ways that the Constitution empowers Congress to exert influence over the executive branch. By allowing Trump to eschew this process, the Senate is surrendering its own power. Both chambers should care about how the Defense Department is run in any event, and they know (or ought to know) that it can’t function smoothly without a confirmed secretary.