Pete Sessions: “I think Senator Levin and Senator Warner have pointed out the fact that this is not an unprecedented appointment and…”

“I think Senator Levin and Senator Warner have pointed out the fact that this is not an unprecedented appointment and that it is consistent with what has been done before. People have their own ideas about how the chain of command should work, but that is fundamentally the question to be answered. Let me join with Senator Warner in saying how much I admire the record of General Lute. He is a three-star general. He was a director of operations at the operational section of Central Command for 2 years. He is intimately familiar with the Middle East. He has demonstrated in his positions with the Department of Defense in recent years with the joint staff his willingness to question ideas that many consider popular. In fact, it is reported that he asked a lot of tough questions about the surge, and how that would go, and how it should be handled if done. I think, if anything, we know for sure that he will do what he believes is in America's interests. Let me tell you why I truly believe we need a position such as this and a man like General Lute. We have about 170,000-plus soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are serving us in a dangerous area of the world.”