U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz Statement on Hagel Cloture Vote
Sen. Cruz Fervently Hopes Concerns about Chuck Hagel's Record Are Proven Wrong, and that He Will Serve as a Vigorous and Effective Defense Secretary
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released the following statement regarding his vote against invoking cloture on the nomination of Sen. Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary:
Chuck Hagel will be confirmed because Senate Democrats stood united behind President Obama's nomination of the most controversial Secretary of Defense in modern times. No one has ever been confirmed to the position with more than 11 "no" votes, until today when a record number of senators voted against his nomination. A great many of us have been concerned about Hagel's longstanding record of antagonism towards Israel and unwillingness to stand vigorously against Iran's acquiring nuclear weapons. I hope those concerns are proven wrong. I fervently hope that this confirmation does not embolden Iran to accelerate their nuclear weapons development; I fervently hope that this confirmation does not undermine our vital alliance with Israel. Chuck Hagel can prove his critics wrong by standing by his confirmation commitments. He has an enormous task ahead of him, and running the Defense Department will require principled leadership on the world’s stage. I wish Secretary Hagel success in his new role and am committed to working with him to keep America safe and strong.
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