President-elect Donald Trump’s selection to be defense secretary took his turn before the Senate on Thursday, coming out of the gate with strong language against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ret. Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis went into his hearing with glowing support from big names, but he faces an extra challenge beyond other nominees. Not only will his task be convincing senators to confirm him — installing Mattis will need Congress to pass a waiver of a law requiring anyone who served to be out of the military for at least seven years before serving as defense secretary.
Mattis seemed to help himself in that regard by answering a question from strong anti-Russia hawk, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, with a warning for Russian relations.
The topic has been one of the greatest sources of Republican criticism of President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly spoken favorably about Putin and for months denied Russia’s role in a hacking and misinformation campaign designed to influence the election.
“I’ve watched three presidents commit themselves to new relationships with Vladimir Putin, all three have been an abysmal failure,” McCain said, asking Mattis what he would do.
“History is not a straightjacket, but I’ve never found a better guide for the way ahead than studying history,” Mattis said. He said since World War II, “we have a relatively short list of successes in that regard.”
He continued: “I think right now the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with with Mr. Putin, and we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, and that we take the steps — the integrated steps — diplomatic, economic, military — and the alliance steps — working with our allies to defend ourselves where we must.”
Mattis identified Russian aggression, terrorism and Chinese aggressiveness in the South China Sea as the biggest attacks since WWII.
“I think deterrence is critical right now, sir, absolutely and that requires a strong military,” Mattis said, adding the military is not strong enough right now.
He answered similar questions from the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Jack Reed.
“We also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to,” he told Reed, saying the chances for cooperation were decreasing and chances for disagreement were increasing.
From the outset, a former Democratic senator and former Clinton secretary of defense implored the committee to both grant the waiver and confirm Mattis.
“Exceptions for this restriction should be based on the experience, the skills and the character of the nominee,” said former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn. “I also believe your examination of Jim Mattis’ character, credentials and record will convince you … he should be granted a waiver.”
“Jim Mattis is a rare combination of thinker and doer, scholar and strategist,” he added.
“He has the nickname of Mad Dog — it’s a misnomer. It should be ‘brave heart,'” added former Defense Secretary William Cohen. “This man, Jim Mattis, brings to the job of secretary of defense a great and brave heart.”
Mattis’ opening remarks also sought to address his view of the role of the military in the world from the outset.
“I will work to make sure our strategy and military calculus are employed to reinforce traditional tools of diplomacy, ensuring our President and our diplomats negotiate from a position of strength,” Mattis said in his opening. “We must also embrace our international alliances and security partnerships. History is clear: nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither.”
Mattis retired in 2013 after serving as Commander of US Central Command.
Mattis is expected to have the votes to be confirmed, as Republicans have a majority in the Senate.
The biggest concern of Mattis’ detractors is the principle of civilian control of the military — which is why the law requires a cooling off period before active military officials can serve as the top defense official.
Mattis addressed the issue head on in his opening remarks.
“I recognize my potential civilian role differs in essence from my former role in uniform,” he said. “Civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition … If the Senate consents and if the full Congress passes an exception to the seven-year requirement, I will provide strong civilian leadership of military plans and decisions and the Department of Defense.”
Mattis is expected to face a tough questions on Thursday, given both his record and statements by Trump, though he does not go in with much outright opposition.
In their opening statements, the top committee Republican and Democrat were both generally favorable to Mattis.
“Current law would bar him from serving as secretary of defense for three more years. While I strongly support retaining the law, I also believe that our nation needs General Mattis’s service more than ever,” said McCain.
McCain largely laid out his priorities for the military, as did his Democratic counterpart.
Reed trained his concerns mainly on Trump, criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and praising past statements from Mattis saying the Iran nuclear deal should remain in place unless violated.
“You will help oversee national security policy for a president who lacks foreign policy and defense experience, and who’s temperament is far different from prior presidents,” Reed said. “I think many Americans, and many in this body, on both sides of the aisle, are rightly concerned about how he may respond when he is tested by Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other transnational threats such as cyber.”
Senators have already questioned nominees on the issue of waterboarding and torture, which Trump has spoken in favor of. Mattis is on the record against using waterboarding in the military, a difference Trump noted when he introduced him as his choice for defense secretary.
Mattis was also sure to face questions about relations with Russia, Moscow’s involvement in the conflict in Syria, and the use of military force, especially in the fight against terrorism.
Other likely hot topics include the use of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, which President Barack Obama pledged to close but Republicans want kept open, opening up all combat positions to women and sexual assault in the military.
The retired four-star general is a bachelor who spent most of his adult life in the Marines. He served in the first Gulf War and Afghanistan, in addition to his positions atop NATO and US Central Command, which is in charge of the US military in the Middle East.
While his friends don’t call him Mad Dog, he has earned the nickname in part because of some of his frank comments on the violence that combat sometimes requires.
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet,” he would tell his Marines in Iraq, according to the writer Thomas Ricks in his book Fiasco. He also drew criticism for saying in 205, “It’s fun to shoot some people.”