Gates: Get Carter

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he’s upbeat about the prospect of the Senate approving the nomination of Ashton Carter, who is in line to be the Pentagon’s next acquisition executive. The confirmation is on ice because of opposition from Sens. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who have concerns about the Air Force’s tanker program.

“I have every hope and expectation that Dr. Carter's nomination will be moved in the near future,” Gates said yesterday during a visit to Ft. Rucker, AL. “At a time when most in the Congress believe there is a need for acquisition reform in the Department of Defense, to delay the confirmation of the person who is supposed to lead that effort clearly is counterproductive. And we have a secretary of the Air Force, we have a chief of staff of the Air Force, and so I'm confident that we'll have the people in place that we can go forward with this.”