*Asking for a waiver is not “skipping over” imo but that’s just me*
President-elect Joe Biden argued Wednesday that his pick for secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, deserves a waiver to serve in that role despite recently leaving the military.
Austin should be able to skip over the rule regarding civilian leadership of the military precisely because he respects the civil-military divide so much, Biden said.
“The civilian-military dynamic has been under great stress the past four years, and I know that Secretary-designee Austin is going to work tirelessly to get it back on track,” Biden said.
“I’ve personally worked with this man,” the President-elect added. “I’ve seen him lead American fighting forces on the field of battle. I’ve also watched him faithfully carry out the orders of the civilian leadership of this nation.”
Biden was making the case that Congress should waive the requirement that military officers “cool off” for seven years after retirement before serving as secretary of defense.
Austin,
