Sen. Carl Levin Holds a Hearing On Nominations

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Sen. Carl Levin Holds a Hearing On Nominations

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOLDS A HEARING ON NOMINATIONS

MAY 12, 2009

SPEAKERS: SEN. CARL LEVIN, D-MICH. CHAIRMAN SEN. EDWARD M. KENNEDY, D-MASS. SEN. ROBERT C. BYRD, D-W.VA. SEN. JACK REED, D-R.I. SEN. DANIEL K. AKAKA, D-HAWAII SEN. BILL NELSON, D-FLA. SEN. BEN NELSON, D-NEB. SEN. EVAN BAYH, D-IND. SEN. JIM WEBB, D-VA. SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, D-MO. SEN. KAY HAGAN, D-N.C. SEN. MARK UDALL, D-COLO. SEN. MARK BEGICH, D-ALASKA SEN. ROLAND BURRIS, D-ILL.

SEN. JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, I-CONN.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ. RANKING MEMBER SEN. JAMES M. INHOFE, R-OKLA. SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, R-ALA. SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS, R-GA. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C. SEN. JOHN THUNE, R-S.D. SEN. MEL MARTINEZ, R-FLA. SEN. ROGER WICKER, R-MISS. SEN. RICHARD M. BURR, R-N.C. SEN. DAVID VITTER, R-LA. SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, R-MAINE

WITNESSES: SEN. RICHARD G. LUGAR, R-IND.

SEN. RICHARD J. DURBIN, D-ILL.

REP. SAM FARR, D-CALIF.

ANDREW WEBER, NOMINEE, ASSISTANT TO THE DEFENSE SECRETARY FOR NUCLEAR AND CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE PROGRAMS

PAUL STOCKTON, NOMINEE, ASSISTANT DEFENSE SECRETARY, HOMELAND DEFENSE AND AMERICAS' SECURITY AFFAIRS

THOMAS LAMONT, NOMINEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, ARMY FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS

CHARLES BLANCHARD, NOMINEE, GENERAL COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

[*] LEVIN: Good morning, everybody. Today the committee considers the nominations of Andrew Weber to be assistant to the secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, Paul Stockton to be assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs, Thomas Lamont to be assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, and Charles Blanchard to be general counsel of the Air Force.

We welcome our nominees and their families to today's hearing. Senior Defense Department officials put in long hours every day. We appreciate the sacrifices that our nominees, but frankly even more importantly, that their families are willing to make to serve their country.

Each of our nominees has a distinguished background. Mr. Weber spent 24 years in public service, serving most recently as adviser for threat reduction policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a position in which he has helped to run Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.

Dr. Stockton has been a senior member of the faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation for almost 20 years.

Mr. Lamont served in the Illinois National Guard for over 25 years while working as a partner in two Illinois law firms and holding a succession of positions in state government.

Mr. Blanchard served as general counsel of the Army from 1999 to 2001 before joining the Phoenix office of a major law firm.

If confirmed, our nominees will play a critical role in helping the Department of Defense address any number of critical challenges and difficult issues.

These challenges range from ensuring that our nuclear stockpile remains safe, secure and reliable to determining the appropriate role of our armed forces in securing the border with Mexico at a time of unprecedented drug violence and a ...

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