Washington,
D.C. – After over a month of stalling the confirmation of Congressman John McHugh to
be the next Secretary of the Army, two Kansas Republicans are backing off their
legislative maneuver to block McHugh’s confirmation. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the
following statement:
“I want to thank
Senators Brownback and Roberts for dropping their hold on Congressman McHugh,
and for coming together in agreement to move forward on his confirmation.
“As I’ve said before, Congressman McHugh is a leader we can count on and the
right person for the job. I look forward to working with him and all of my
Senate colleagues to make sure our servicemembers and their families have all
the resources they need, and to keep American families safe.”
Senator
Gillibrand’s August letter to the Kansas Republicans is below:
August 12, 2009
Honorable Sam Brownback
United States
Senate
303 Hart Senate
Office Building
Washington, DC
20510
Honorable Pat Roberts
United States Senate
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senators
Brownback and Roberts:
I am writing to
respectfully request that you allow the United States Senate to vote on the
nomination of Hon. John McHugh, to serve as Secretary of the Army. In
this critical time, our men and women in uniform should not be deprived of the
critical leadership provided by the Secretary of the Army. I had the
privilege of serving with Congressman McHugh on the House Armed Services
Committee and believe that he is uniquely qualified to serve and to lead the
Army during this time of challenge and opportunity.
As a member of
the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman McHugh provided strong
leadership in providing for the well-being and safety of our troops and their
families as they carry out their fundamental mission of keeping America
safe. He had the distinction of representing the men and women of Fort
Drum in the United States House of Representatives, and proved to be a faithful
and dedicated advocate on their behalf. I have every confidence that he
will bring the same leadership and determination to benefit all Army families
across the United States.
Thank you for
your consideration of this matter, and for your leadership in the United States
Senate. I look forward to continuing to work together with you to
strengthen our Armed Services and provide for the security of our
country. I hope that you will reconsider your hold as it is in the best
interest of the Army as a whole and of our nation’s security to swiftly confirm
Congressman McHugh’s nomination as soon as the Senate returns from August
recess.
Sincerely,
Kirsten E.
Gillibrand