Garamendi Releases Statement on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA08), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, issued the following statement after House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers requested Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III to testify before the full committee about his recent hospitalization:

“At the behest of former President Donald Trump, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans are now working overtime for political takedowns of President Biden, his family, and now members of his Cabinet. First, it was Speaker Johnson caving to the far right seeking to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas for simply doing his job and following the law. Now, House Republicans are turning their ire to Defense Secretary Austin, a 41-year Army veteran and retired four-star general who has revitalized NATO into a powerful force in opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While I am always willing to engage in good-faith oversight of the Pentagon, we cannot allow the historically bipartisan House Armed Services Committee to devolve into a political circus. The American people are smart and will see through any craven attempt by House Republicans to take down Defense Secretary Austin while opposing critical aid to U.S. allies abroad like Ukraine.”

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