Executive Session

Floor Speech

EXECUTIVE SESSION -- (Senate - February 11, 2009)

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise to express my support for William Lynn to be confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Defense. Bill has a combination of experience and sound judgment. He worked here on Capitol Hill as a significant policy aide to Senator Kennedy on the Armed Services Committee. He has been the comptroller of the Department of Defense. He has detailed and specific knowledge of the vast programs that will be handed over to the DOD. He has also worked in industry. Frankly, the job of Deputy Secretary of Defense is a place in which all these roads come together--the relationship with Capitol Hill, the relationship with industry, and a detailed understanding and knowledge of the way the Pentagon really works from the inside, not from the outside.

He is uniquely situated to take on these daunting challenges that face us, at a time when we are engaged in two conflicts--Afghanistan and Iraq--and a continuing war against extremists across the globe and at a time when our budget is going to be challenged because of a declining economy in the United States and across the globe. The difficult judgments that have to be made require the expertise and experience Bill Lynn can bring and few can match.

One other thing that I think is particularly compelling about this nomination is the enthusiastic support of it by the Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates. There is no one in Government whom I admire more for their patriotism, their sacrifice to the Nation, and their service. The Secretary of Defense has made it very clear that he believes Bill Lynn is someone whom he not only can work with, but he will aid him immensely in his extraordinary challenges to face the threats I have already illustrated. For me, Bob Gates's testimony and endorsement is compelling evidence that this Senate should confirm Bill Lynn immediately this afternoon.

As I mentioned before, Bill worked in the Department of Defense. He has knowledge of the whole range of programs. That is absolutely critical because he will have to make judgments about these programs to advise the Secretary of Defense.

For his work at the Department of Defense--which has been talked about this afternoon, but this wasn't mentioned--he received the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Again, the military understands not only the important duty he is performing but also, in their own conduct and affairs, understands the values of integrity, character, and commitment to the national interest. He has won awards from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He also received the 2000 Distinguished Federal Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants for his efforts to improve defense accounting practices.

He also gained valuable experience within private industry. Again, Bill is not unique in having an industry background. In fact, the current Deputy Secretary of Defense, Gordon England, came from an industry background. My observation of Secretary England is that his performance has been outstanding, aided by the insight he has had into the multibillion-dollar contracts that industry has with the Department of Defense, insight he has into the decisionmaking in corporate America, insight he has into the way business is done in the defense community. That has aided him, not disabled him, in doing an excellent job. Once again, Bill Lynn comes from a similar background. As Chairman Levin pointed out, the Secretary of the Navy, who I also believe has done an outstanding job, also came from a background in the defense industry.

This goes also to the other issue raised about the waiver. Essentially, Bill Lynn stands in the same shoes, I think, as Gordon England and others--ladies and gentlemen who worked in private industry but recognized when they took the oath to serve the people in this country, they had only one boss--the people of the United States. They are committed to that duty.

Also, I think, frankly, the rules have been followed scrupulously by his predecessors and will be followed by Bill Lynn regarding conflicts with his previous employer. I believe he is going to err on the side of caution when it comes to programs that may be under the purview of his previous employer, or anyone else, because having gotten to know Bill, I understand he is not only a man of intelligence but a man of character.

We have someone uniquely situated to begin to aid the Secretary of Defense in the important challenges before us: How do we create a strategy of redeploying forces successfully out of Iraq? How do we increase our presence in Afghanistan and help military and civilian agencies to deal with that troubling situation? How do we deal with issues of defense modernization? How do we prepare for longer term threats? How do we continue to be active across the globe to, we hope, preempt terrorist activities, whether it be in the Near East, Far East, or anyplace on this globe?

Again, Bill Lynn is superbly qualified to do this. He is a graduate of Dartmouth with a law degree from Cornell Law School, and a master's in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton--again, superb academic preparation and superb life preparation. He is someone who has, again, the character and the insights to render remarkable service to the Department of Defense.

I hope my colleagues will join with me in supporting this nomination, rounding out a team of excellent patriots and professionals in the Department of Defense. I must commend President Obama. He made a very sound, I won't say unusual, but unexpected announcement early on by offering the position of Secretary of Defense to Bob Gates. Bob served with distinction under President Bush. President Obama recognized, first, the quality of this Secretary, Secretary Gates, and also the need for continuity in the operations of the Department of Defense. That was a strong not only signal of continuity but endorsement of the work and effort of thousands and thousands of uniformed military personnel and civilian employees in the Department of Defense. That choice was amplified in his selection of Bill Lynn. Again, the endorsement of Secretary Gates speaks volumes about the team President Obama has put together.

I hope at the conclusion of this debate, we could send a very strong vote of confirmation and confidence in the team that President Obama has assembled--Secretary Gates, hopefully Deputy Secretary Lynn, and the other members--because the tasks before them are, indeed, daunting and because their success will be our success.

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