Rep. Roy Statement Opposing a Waiver for Biden's Defense Secretary Nominee

Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement Thursday in regards to the House's vote on H.R. 335, a bill to provide a legal waiver to appoint Lloyd J. Austin III as President Biden's Secretary of Defense:

I was unable to fly to Washington this week and given I will not abandon my opposition to proxy voting, I am therefore unable to vote today. However, had I been able to vote in person, I would have voted against the proposed waiver for President Biden's nominee for Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin.

While it is unquestionable that General Austin has served our country admirably during his decades-long Army career, granting this waiver would undermine the Founding Fathers' principle of a civilian-controlled military.

Only twice in our country's history has Congress granted such a waiver, and doing so today would only add to this unwise precedent. America need a nominee that will not undermine this principle, and the administration should put one forward.

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