Proceeding

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) concluded a confirmation hearing today for Defense Department posts by noting the committee will move “quickly” to advance the nominations of the candidates who testified:

• Raymond Mabus, to be Navy Secretary;
• Robert Work, to be Navy Under Secretary;
• Elizabeth King, to be assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs;
• Donald Remy, to be the Army’s general counsel;
• Michael Nacht, to be assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs;
• Retired Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson, to be assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs;
• Jo-Ellen Darcy, to be assistant secretary of the Army for civil works; and
• Inés Triay to be assistant secretary of energy for environmental management.

Much of the hearing was devoted to discussing naval issues. In fact, Levin and Ranking Republican John McCain (AZ) had to step in to get Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) to wrap up their dueling statements about the Navy’s plan to base a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Mayport, FL. It was only then that the committee received testimony from Nacht, Gregson, Darcy and Triay, who comprised the second panel of nominees.