Nightly Nuance - January 27, 2021

Hello, my friends. Today, we're continuing our series on better knowing the Biden cabinet and discussing newly-confirmed Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. 

The Secretary of Defense oversees the nation's largest employer and the government's largest agency. A stunning portion of our budget is devoted to defense.

It is difficult to find much in the way of personal biography about Secretary Austin. He is notoriously private. His military career involved numerous "firsts," honors, distinctions, and awards.  

During his service, Secretary Austin experienced first hand the military's problem with white supremacy and violent extremism.  He also led US efforts to defeat ISIS, and I recommend watching this exchange between Secretary Austin and Senator John McCain during a 2015 hearing to get a sense of the complexity of that task. 

Secretary Austin was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 93-2 (the 2 dissenters were Senators Josh Hawley and Mike Lee). He was introduced by a Republican Senator with whom he served in Western Asia. He will now serve as our nation's first Black Secretary of Defense. The main concern about his confirmation centered on the fact that he retired less than 7 years ago. The National Security Act of 1947 requires a 7-year gap between service and leadership of the Pentagon in order to ensure civilian control of the nation's armed forces. There has also been some concern about his corporate ties.  

During his confirmation hearing, Secretary Austin emphasized the threat posed by China and, to a lesser extent, Russia. 

His days post-confirmation have been busy. His first call went to NATO's Secretary General.  He has ordered a review of the Pentagon's handling of sexual assault cases. He is focused on the internal threat of racism within the military. He issued a statement in support of President Biden's Executive Order removing the military's ban on transgender persons serving. He's had calls with defense officials in Canada, Korea, the UK, and Japan. 

As always, don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. Your comments, ideas, and feedback on the Nightly Nuance is super helpful as we try to plan the best episodes available to all of us 😊. 

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