February 2, 2013
President Obama’s nomination of former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense is an outrage and a threat to national security. We need you to contact your Senators and urge them to oppose Hagel by voting NO on Cloture and to encourage their colleagues to do likewise.
America needs a Secretary of Defense who values U.S. sovereignty and safety. Chuck Hagel does not. Hagel serves on the Board of the Atlantic Council, an internationalist organization that promotes peace through diplomacy instead of military strength. As the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi made tragically apparent, terrorists do not respond to diplomacy or disarmament. Peace and safety require a strong defense.
Senator Jim Inhofe, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a statement explaining his opposition to Hagel’s nomination. Among other concerns, Inhofe stated that Hagel is an outspoken supporter of nuclear disarmament and the Global Zero movement. Inhofe declared, “At a time when North Korea is threatening our allies with nuclear capabilities, and Iran continues to pursue a nuclear weapon and the means to deliver it, the security of our own nation and of our allies requires us to be vigilant with our own nuclear weapons and defense systems.”
While even current Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has vehemently opposed cuts to the U.S. military, Hagel has consistently supported slashing the military budget and believes in a “pared down Pentagon.”
Hagel’s internationalist philosophy also led him to support the discredited Law of the Sea Treaty which would diminish U.S. sovereignty, and amnesty for illegal aliens which weakens national security.
Chuck Hagel is a threat to America’s strength and safety, and his nomination must be defeated.
We need you to call your Senators TODAY and urge them to oppose Hagel and to compel their colleagues to do the same.
This nomination is also an example of why it is so important to protect the filibuster from Harry Reid’s effort to get rid of it. Click here to read more about Harry Reid’s so-called filibuster reform and how to stop it. Hagel’s confirmation only requires a simple majority, but Senators who are concerned about America’s military are not powerless even though they’re in the minority. They can stop his confirmation by voting NO on the Cloture motion to end debate, which requires 60 votes.
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Further Reading:
- Press Release Announcing Opposition to Hagel Nomination, by Senator Jim Inhofe, January 15, 2013
- Chuck Hagel's Troubling 'Global Zero' Nuclear Arms Stance, by Peter Huessy, January 15, 2013
- Senators voice concerns on Hagel’s Global Zero anti-nuclear views, by Bill Gertz, January 10, 2013
- Hagel hearings should focus on Pentagon mission, by Elaine Donnelly, January 14, 2013
- The wrong man to be defense secretary, by Senator Jim Inhofe, January 25, 2013
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