Though General Austin is well respected and universally regarded as an effective leader and loyal public servant, his nomination has raised a number of objections, many of them coming from Democrats.

The fiercest criticism raised against Austin is that he has not been retired from the U.S. Army for the seven years that are required by law before an ex-military official can become Secretary of Defense. The role of Secretary of Defense traditionally goes to a civilian, and Austin’s confirmation will require a special waiver from Congress. Only two such exemptions have been granted, the most recent for General James Mattis, who was nominated and confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense. Several Democratic senators, who also opposed the waiver for Mattis, have indicated that they are unlikely to support the exception for Austin.

General Austin himself acknowledged the concerns about his military past and sought to alleviate them in his remarks Wednesday.

"I come to this role now as a civilian leader — with military experience to be sure — but also with a deep appreciation and reverence for the prevailing wisdom of civilian control of our military," Austin said.

General Austin’s nomination has also been criticized because he is seen to have been chosen instead of Michèle Flournoy, a former high-ranking Defense Department official who had been a favorite for the Secretary of Defense position and who would have been the first woman to occupy the role. Flournoy’s supporters feel she has been unfairly passed up for the top Pentagon role several times, and may be less inclined to confirm Austin as a result. Meanwhile, progressives have criticized both Flournoy and Austin for their relationships to defense contractors – Austin joined the board of Raytheon after retiring from the military. And Austin will also likely be questioned over evolving national security challenges such as the rise of China and the dangers of climate change, issues that he did not have to deal with in great detail during his time in command.

Lloyd Austin

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