Chuck Grassley: “I come to this Chamber today to explain my opposition to a Department of Defense nomination. This is the nomination of…”

“I come to this Chamber today to explain my opposition to a Department of Defense nomination. This is the nomination of Dr. David Chu to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. On Friday, May 18, I placed a hold on Dr. Chu's nomination. It happens that Dr. Chu is a very talented person. Those people who know him may wonder why I have some question about him filling this position because he is so highly educated, holding a Ph.D. from Yale University. He has a very impressive resume, and he has an extensive management and analytical background. He is currently vice president at the prestigious Rand Corporation. In most ways, he is qualified for the position for which he has been nominated. I emphasize, he is qualified in most ways, but in a most important one--the matter of integrity--I am not 100-percent certain. I have some unresolved questions about Dr. Chu's approach to telling it like it is--one might say his honesty.”