US Senate approves Hagel as secretary of defense
Baku, February 28 (AZERTAC). The US Senate has approved former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, an outspoken critic of Israel, as the next secretary of defense.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted 58 to 41 in favor of President Barack Obama`s nominee for the post.
Fifty-four Democrats and four Republicans -- Thad Cochran, Mike Johanns, Richard C. Shelby and Rand Paul -- approved Hagel. All 41 no votes came from Republicans.
Democrats largely praised the 66-year-old former Republican Nebraska senator as the ideal civilian successor to Leon Panetta, who has been the secretary of defense since July 1, 2011.
Many Democrats emphasized the right of President Obama to choose members of his cabinet, despite serious objections from pro-Israeli lawmakers.
The Senate approval came 12 days after Republicans delayed a vote, questioning his anti-Israel positions in the past.
In a 2008 interview, Hagel noted that he had never signed any of the letters by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) aimed at showing support for Israel or taking stances against Israel`s enemies.
“I’m not an Israeli senator. I’m a United States senator,” he reiterated.
And Democrats censured the Republicans for the delay.
"Politically motivated delays send a terrible signal to our allies and to the world," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
“His record of service to this country is untarnished; 12 days later, President Obama`s support for his qualified nominee is still strong; 12 days later, the majority of senators still support his confirmation. Senate Republicans have delayed for the better part of two weeks for one reason: partisanship,” he added.
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