Sen. Webb puts hold on DoD nominations

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said he will place a hold on all Defense Department nominations for civilian and flag or general officers because the Pentagon has not been forthcoming with information about its decision to close the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) in Norfolk, Va.

Webb has asked DoD for information on staff levels in DoD and military departments, but so far has received only a superficial response, according to a release from Webb’s office.

“This failure to respond to a request for basic information that should be readily available is indicative of the lack of cooperation that has characterized the proposal to close JFCOM,” Webb said in his release.

Last month, Webb filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to require Defense Secretary Robert Gates to provide detailed analysis and other assessments related to closing any unified combatant command, not simply JFCOM.

At that time, Webb said the lack of transparency was in “stark contrast” to how decisions have been made in the past.

On Monday Webb wrote a letter to Gates that he will keep the hold on nominations until his information requests have been fulfilled.

“It is clearly within the congressional prerogative to ask for (the information),” Webb wrote. “Such data is highly relevant to our ability to reach our own conclusions in the fulfillment of our constitutional responsibility to assess a proposal that has significant ramifications not only in Virginia but throughout the country and also overseas.”

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