Slotkin Delayed

Despite approving other recent nominees, the Senate Armed Services Committee is delaying the confirmation of Elissa Slotkin, President Obama's nominee to serve as the Defense Department's next assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, according to a statement from the committee.

The committee did not report Slotkin's nomination to the Senate floor today, according to a statement from Tara Andringa, a committee spokeswoman.

"Her nomination was not considered," Andringa wrote in an email. "It is not the practice of the Senate Armed Services Committee to schedule a nomination for a vote when there are still open questions from members that have not been responded to."

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) grilled Slotkin during her Dec. 2 nomination hearing regarding her views of the U.S. “surge” in Iraq, while Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) attempted to get Slotkin to admit that Russia had invaded Ukraine when it annexed Crimea.

Among those nominations that did go to the floor were that of Adm. Harry Harris to be chief of U.S. Pacific Command; Robert Scher to be assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities; David Berteau to be assistant secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness; and Alissa Starzak to be the Army's general counsel.