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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 24 July 2019

Esper is sworn in as defense secretary to succeed Mattis

Continued from Front cancies increased again
last week with the depar-
The turmoil atop the Pen- ture of David Trachten-
tagon began when Mat- berg, the Pentagon’s sec-
tis stepped down last New ond-ranking civilian policy
Year’s Eve after a series of official.
policy disputes with Trump. Beyond that, the No.
He offered to stay two 2-ranking military officer,
more months to get a suc- Gen. Paul Selva, is retiring
cessor in place and ensure Friday as vice chairman of
continuity, but Trump said the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No
no. Senate confirmation hear-
The president was high on ing has been set for the
Mattis at the start of his ad- man picked by Trump to
ministration. He liked to call replace Selva: Gen. John
the retired Marine general Hyten, who has been com-
“Mad Dog,” but the af- mander of U.S. nuclear
fection waned and shortly forces as head of U.S. Stra-
before Mattis quit Trump re- tegic Command.
ferred to him as “sort of a A military officer has ac-
Democrat.” cused Hyten of sexual mis-
Even with Esper now in conduct . An investigation
charge, the problem of found insufficient evidence
leadership instability at the to charge Hyten, but some Secretary of Defense Mark Esper stands with President Donald Trump and the Appointment
Pentagon is not fully re- members of Congress have Affidavit after Esper was sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House in
solved. There still is no Sen- raised questions about that Washington, Tuesday, July 23, 2019.
ate-confirmed deputy sec- process. It’s unclear when Associated Press
retary of defense, though or whether Hyten’s nomi- of law at the University of han, became the acting continue the Trump ad-
David Norquist on Tuesday nation will proceed. Richmond, said he believes secretary. But after nearly ministration’s focus on im-
was nominated for the post At his confirmation hearing that in the months since six months as the fill-in, the proving the combat pre-
and is scheduled to have on July 16, Esper promised Mattis left, the Pentagon’s former Boeing executive paredness of the military,
a confirmation hearing that one of his first priorities sway within the administra- abruptly quit . nurturing security alliances
Wednesday. Norquist has would be to fix the problem tion has weakened. Esper then became the around the world and re-
been filling in as deputy of leadership vacancies. “This seems to be the pri- acting defense secretary, forming Pentagon business
since January; his regular “I need to staff up the top mary challenge that Esper but once he was nomi- practices.
job is Pentagon budget tier of the Pentagon soon- confronts: regaining the nated last week, he had to All eight senators who vot-
chief. est,” he said. power to set the Defense step aside until after a Sen- ed against Esper’s nomina-
The senior leadership va- Carl Tobias, a professor Department agenda and ate vote. tion are Democrats. They
defend it by doing what is So, for the past week, the include Sen. Elizabeth War-
best for the nation and the Pentagon had been run ren of Massachusetts, a
world, not what advances by yet another fill-in: Navy candidate for the Demo-
the president’s political Secretary Richard V. Spen- cratic presidential nomina-
agenda,” Tobias said by cer. tion, who has sharply criti-
email. Esper, who has a wide cized Esper for declining
Esper had been the Army range of experience in to recuse himself from all
secretary when Mattis re- defense matters, includ- matters involving his former
signed in December. On ing time on Capitol Hill as employer, Raytheon Co.,
Jan. 1, the deputy defense a congressional staff mem- for the duration of his time
secretary, Patrick Shana- ber, has said he intends to as defense secretary.q

Pot legalization bills introduced in Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bills crime,” said Harris, who is and economically disad-
that would legalize and tax running for president. vantaged individuals” start
marijuana at the national “We need to start regu- their own marijuana busi-
level, and provide opportu- lating marijuana, and ex- nesses.
nities for people convicted punge marijuana convic- While support for marijua-
of federal pot crimes to tions from the records of na legalization has gained
clear their records, were in- millions of Americans so traction in Congress it’s still
troduced Tuesday in Con- they can get on with their a longshot that a bill will
gress. lives.” pass this session.
The companion legislation The tax revenue from legal- Still, Nadler’s introduction
in the House and Senate ization would support job means the issue is very likely
were introduced by Sen. training, substance abuse to get a hearing before his
Kamala Harris of California treatment, literacy pro- committee.
and New York Rep. Jarrold grams and other services Supporters of legalization
Nadler, the chairman of for individuals and commu- hailed Nadler’s involve-
the powerful House Judi- nities hit hard by drug en- ment as a clear sign of mo-
ciary Committee. Both are forcement. mentum.
Democrats. Some of the revenue would
“Times have changed — also support programs de- Continued on Page 3
marijuana should not be a signed to help “socially