President Obama announced Monday his nomination of former Nebraskan Sen. Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. He said Hagel is "the leader that our troops deserve."
Hagel could face a tough
fight as he seeks confirmation by the Senate. Hagel,
a moderate Republican, has the support of some of his former Senate
colleagues but is drawing opposition from others who accuse him of being
soft on Iran and insufficiently supportive of Israel.
Sen. Deb Fischer says, "I
plan to closely review Senator Hagel's record and look forward to meeting with
him to discuss his views on America's role in an increasingly dangerous world."
"As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will also have the
opportunity to publicly question Senator Hagel during his confirmation hearing
in the coming weeks," added Fischer. "This process will be thorough and fair, and I look forward
to participating in it."
Sen. Johanns agrees that the hearing will be thorough and fair saying, "Chuck
Hagel's military career is nothing short of admirable and while he has been a
long-time friend, we do have very different opinions on many very important
issues.
"Now that he has been nominated, he has an obligation to elaborate on
his past statements and fully explain his positions during what I expect to be
a thorough and fair confirmation hearing."
