Max Baucus: “I wish to express my wholehearted support for the nomination of William J. Perry to be the next Secretary of Defense.…”

“I wish to express my wholehearted support for the nomination of William J. Perry to be the next Secretary of Defense. Mr. Perry's eminent career both with the Government and in the private sector demonstrates that he is the man that the Department of Defense needs at this critical juncture. The country is indeed fortunate that the President of the United States has tapped this very capable man to lead the Defense Department. Mr. Perry's distinguished career is part of the public record, so I will not reiterate his many accomplishments now. Nevertheless, his career shows an individual who is highly qualified to manage the needed reductions in the Defense Department while at the same time ensuring that the United States remains capable of defending freedom and protecting democracy around the world. His initiatives to streamline the defense acquisition process, while saving the taxpayers a great deal of money, will cut needless bureaucratic red tape and make the process more responsive to our operational commanders. Furthermore, his understanding of the defense industrial base will ensure that much needed capabilities in the industrial base are retained and that needless duplication is eliminated. We should all be optimistic about the future of the defense establishment while it is in the hands of this very capable individual.”