Nomination of Lloyd James Austin

Floor Speech

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Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, our Founding Fathers believed strongly in the civilian control of our military. Having escaped from the tyranny of the British crown, they did not want the powers of government and military to be fused. In America, the people would control their Armed Forces. This standard has endured, and was enshrined in law in 1947. Congress had to pass a waiver to the 1947 law in 2017, and we are being asked to do it again in 2021. I hope that this is the last time Congress will be asked to pass such a waiver.

Civilian control of the military goes beyond the basic question of how long ago a nominee wore the uniform. It is also a question of whether the nominee is enmeshed in the interests of our vast defense contracting industry, an industry whose bottom line depends on an expansive American military posture and, with it, an ever-growing defense budget. Going from firing the missiles to selling the missiles is technically a move into a civilian role, but nothing more. It is every bit as corrosive to the principle of civilian rule for the head of the Pentagon to churn from the military to the boardroom to the Pentagon, working with many of the same people at every step along the way.

General Austin retired from the Army in 2016, and he immediately joined the board of United Technologies, which was acquired by Raytheon. He was very well-compensated for his work there, and is reportedly due a buy-out of up to $1.7 million when he leaves Raytheon and his other work and returns to the Pentagon. All we are doing by confirming these types of nominees, no matter their other qualifications, is tightening the ever-increasing bonds between the military and the contractors who serve it. It is getting hard to see where one stops and the other begins. No pledge of recusal from a nominee will solve this larger problem. We are not limited to selecting our Secretary of Defense from the world of defense contractors, and our country would be better off if we stopped. However, with regard to experience and expertise, I do not question General Austin's qualifications and will vote to allow the President his choice.

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