SECDEF nom papers arrive @ Senate

The White House sent its official paperwork to the Senate in the afternoon of July 15 nominating Dr. Mark Esper for Secretary of Defense. “At 3:04 p.m. (EDT), the Senate received the President's formal nomination of Dr. Mark T. Esper to be Secretary of Defense,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said in a DoD statement. This move requires Esper to step down from his current role as acting SECDEF, and temporarily heading back to his former Army Secretary post. Esper is set to go before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the morning of July 16 to begin his confirmation hearing. In keeping with line of succession, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer will temporarily become acting SECDEF, according to Hoffman’s statement. (Source: DoD 07/15/19)