Senate Confirms Ashton Carter, Obama’s 4th Defense Secretary

The Republican-controlled Senate Thursday confirmed Ashton Carter, making him President Obama’s fourth defense secretary since taking office. Carter takes the job as the U.S. confronts Islamic State militants, amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and other grave worldwide threats.

Defense Department officials say the 93-5 vote to replace Chuck Hagel, the former Republican senator who resigned in November as a scapegoat, is “the best we can get.”

Carter, 60, is now President Obama’s fourth defense secretary in just six years, joining Robert Gates, Leon Panetta and Hagel, two of which have offered damning criticism of the Obama doctrine.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, alluded to the divide between the White House and Pentagon, saying he had “sincere hope and, sadly, little confidence that the president who nominated Dr. Carter will empower him to lead and contribute to the fullest extent of his abilities.”

At his confirmation hearing last week, McCain told Carter he hoped he would push back on any attempt by the White House to micromanage the Defense Department, or over-centralize U.S. foreign and defense policies.

“I’ll be entirely straight and upfront with the president and make my advice as cogent and useful to him in making his decisions as I can,” Carter promised. Carter said 2,106 American service members have lost their lives in Afghanistan. “Finishing the job there is very important,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who also voted for Carter, said he “needs to have the courage to speak truth to power — to Congress, yes, but also to his commander in chief.”