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Government

Senate Panel Postpones Vote on Hagel Nomination

Feb. 6, 2013 6:35pm Jason Howerton

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 31: Former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of defense on Capitol Hill January 31, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama nominated Hagel, a controversial choice as Hagel opposed former President George W. Bush and his own party on the Iraq War and upset liberals with his criticism of a gay ambassador, for which he later apologized. Credit: Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel on Wednesday abruptly postponed a vote on Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be defense secretary amid Republican demands for more information from President Barack Obama’s nominee about his paid speeches and business dealings.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, had hoped to vote on the nomination on Thursday during a separate hearing on Libya, but Levin issued a statement late Wednesday saying no vote would occur this week.

“The committee’s review of the nomination is not yet complete. I intend to schedule a vote on the nomination as soon as possible,” Levin said.

Hours earlier, committee Republicans said they were dissatisfied with information Hagel had provided the panel after his confirmation hearing last week, and no vote should occur. They focused on his speeches and affiliations with organizations such as the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan public interest group.

Hagel, a former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska, has faced strong opposition from his ex-GOP colleagues who have questioned his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran and nuclear weapons. It was unclear whether the delay in the vote would derail the nomination or merely postpone action on Obama’s choice to replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

In a letter to Hagel, Republicans complained that he failed to answer several questions, including details on all compensation of more than $5,000 that he had received over the past five years. They also had pressed him on his recent speeches, the groups he has addressed and their donors.

“The committee, and the American people, have a right to know if a nominee for secretary of defense has received compensation, directly or indirectly, from foreign sources,” Senate Republicans wrote. “Until the committee receives full and complete answers, it cannot in good faith determine whether you should be confirmed as secretary of defense.”

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter, which was signed by more than two dozen Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Freshman Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who opposes Hagel’s nomination, had complained to his colleagues about the information the nominee provided during a closed meeting on Tuesday. Other Republicans raised objections to a vote.

“I’m not going to make any decision on Sen. Hagel until we get all the information we’ve requested,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told a small group of reporters Wednesday. “I don’t think we should be voting.”

Hagel, in a separate letter to committee Republicans, had tried to explain that some of the information they were seeking was not available.

“My role with respect to the entities you identify is as a current and former board or advisory board member. I was not involved in the day-to-day management of any of these firms, and have not been involved with some for the firms for years now,” Hagel wrote. “Thus, as a matter of fact, I do not believe I have any of the information requested. More importantly, the information you seek is legally controlled by the individual entities and not mine to disclose.”

Senate Democrats, who hold the majority, continue to stand behind the nomination, and no Democrat has said he or she would vote against the president’s pick for his second-term national security team. Hagel, 66, is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran.

About a dozen Republicans have said they would oppose their former colleague and several others have indicated they were likely to vote no.

Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate, and two Republicans have announced their support for Hagel – Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Johanns of Hagel’s home state of Nebraska. More than a handful of Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have said they oppose a filibuster of the nomination.

Last month, Hagel told Pentagon officials he would divest some of his financial holdings and resign from several corporate boards and public interest groups to avoid potential conflicts of interest if he wins Senate confirmation.

He said he would resign his corporate board post at Chevron Corp. and shed investments in the energy company, a major government contractor. He also would cut ties and investments with the McCarthy Group LLC, an Omaha-based private equity firm.

Hagel also pledged to cut ties with several academic and public interest groups, including Georgetown University and the Atlantic Council.

Featured image via AFP/Getty

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Comments (26)

G-WHIZ
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 11:37am
Don’t worry…O’Berri will use HIS [RESESS APPOINTMENT] power to appoint HAG-EL even though CONGRESS IS STILL IN-SESSION!! KING-BERRI did it several times inthe last 4yrs!!

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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 9:01am
Well, if Kerry was cleared 97-3, what is the delay on Hagel? Seems to me the vote on Kerry should have been 3-97?

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sinner-saint
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:16am
Geez……just another yes man. Next comic please.

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MisterSarcastic
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 8:49pm
I hope I’m wrong but I have a gut feeling all of this is smoke and mirrors on the part of the R’s and the D’s. He’ll be the next DefSec.

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- ALL4FREEDOM
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:43pm
  I hope you’re wrong, too, but you’re not.
  
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- one.dakine.howlie
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:13pm
  It’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s all a game to these guys. The Republicans know which side of the isle gets them the most benefits but they just play along pretending they are conservative just to keep their positions. Notice how everytime the public doesn’t want something they just “postpone” the decision until the public forgets then they just slide it in later on without anyone noticing.
  
  Report this comment
denkat56
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:54pm
Hey I hear you get a ride on air force one if the boy king needs your vote. Hagel is not the right guy for the job. He’s a yes man for the president.

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nesmond
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:52pm
Just delaying the inevitable. Put on a show for their constituents so they appear as if they give two s**ts about this country.

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Magyar
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:42pm
Postponed? Don’t have enough Dem votes— Oh, just wait…. they just haven’t offered the right ‘stuff’ yet.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:38pm
Wonderful news.

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AUsername
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:25pm
We need more people in power who are not bowing to Israel. Chuck Hagel Approved.

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- gimmedatfree
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 8:56pm
  More f 16s to the ******** brotherhood richard crainium?
  
  Report this comment
- AUsername
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:22pm
  we might as well sell all countries that are not a threat to USA are stuff to stimulate the economy and watch countries in middle east fight and enjoy some popcorn.
  
  Report this comment
- tzion
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:12pm
  @Auser
  That’s not how you make friends. We had help going after Al Qaeda but if we did as you suggest we’d be lucky if anyone helped us screw in a high efficiency light bulb.
  
  Report this comment
- AUsername
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:58pm
  That group you said if getting killed in Afghanistan and Armed by US forces in Syria, very strange. Also USA doesn’t need the rest of the world since its the richest and most powerful nation in the world, just imagine how much better off everyone could be if all the resources here went to the people instead of out of the country.
  
  Report this comment
- tzion
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:39pm
  @auser
  You really don’t get it. If we take our resources, produce enough for ourselves, and sell what’s left to everyone else, we end up richer as a result. If we aren’t selling to others as much as we buy from them then we lose money since it leaves our economy. It’s like someone who owns his own farm having to decide between having customers or just eating what he grows. But most people will not buy from someone if they feel they’re just being exploited. They need to feel like their getting a worthy product.
  
  Report this comment
Verceofreason
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:06pm
Ted Cruz – another loser from Texas.
Hagel will get this job. Really.

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- oldguy49
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:23pm
  postpone………..webster dict………………take time to bribe other members to vote the way i want them too
  
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Charbet
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:00pm
I’m sure they will find an opportune time to finish the job of nominating this person. Usually what ‘that guy’ in the WH wants, he gets.

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neverending
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 6:58pm
So why postpone it – they know they are going to approve him they just always have to do a flippin dog and pony show first. So sick of it.

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- Verceofreason
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:08pm
  Cruz wants his moment in the sun.
  Like Gomer a few months ago.
  Note to Texans – the Tea Party died last November, regards to Allen West.
  
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RoDogg
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 6:51pm
Well duh…. its not late Friday night yet!!!

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The_Jerk
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 6:50pm
The Jewish progressive Richard Perle said it best, [Paraphrasing] If you don’t support Israel, you will not be in American politics very long. And yes, that’s the same Perle who fooled America into a war with Iraq after a group from Afghanistan attacked America; all for Israel, as he wrote all about his intentions back in 1996.

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- tzion
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:15pm
  What interest did Israel have in Iraq again? Nukes? No, they handled that by themselves. Imminent threat? Not after getting pummeled by both the US and Iran. They were a concern but not an immediate threat. Syria was far more dangerous.
  
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The_Jerk
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 6:46pm
“The committee, and the American people, have a right to know if a nominee for secretary of defense has received compensation, directly or indirectly, from foreign sources,” Senate Republicans wrote.”

Where were they during the Riady transfer of Communist Chinese money to the Clinton/Gore campaign?

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/12/news/mn-11506

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nacilbuper
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 6:46pm
The wheels are coming off the bus for these clowns. Can’t hide the truth.

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