On the recordApril 27, 2021
I rise in opposition to the nomination of Colin Kahl to serve as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. Our Nation needs leaders at the Department of Defense who are not driven by a partisan agenda and are committed to making sure our troops have all the resources and support they need to succeed. We need leaders who understand that our adversaries are regimes like those in Communist China and Iran and that our friends are countries like Israel and its partners in the Middle East. That is not Dr. Kahl. I have grave concerns about Dr. Kahl's lack of support for one of our great allies, Israel, weakness toward Communist China and desire to rejoin the disastrous Iran Deal. The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy serves as the Defense Secretary's top national security adviser, a position that requires sound judgement and an even temperament. Dr. Kahl's history of partisan rhetoric makes him unfit for this position. For all these reasons, I oppose Mr. Kahl's nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.
