WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tillis (R-NC) questioned Secretary of Defense nominee Ashton Carter and commended his distinguished public service career during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

Senator Tillis told Carter: “There is a lot of confidence in your ability and I think there are very few public servants qualified for the nomination. We already have several points of agreement, whether it’s acquisition reform, training, or modernization of business practices in the Pentagon. I look forward to working with you on that and making progress.”

During the question and answer session, Senator Tillis raised concerns over President Obama’s recent handling of national security threats and encouraged Carter to maintain his status as an independent leader at the Pentagon.

“There seems to be a disconnect between the reality of the threat we face right now and the way the President portrays it in many instances, most recently with the State of the Union,” Senator Tillis told Carter. “You said it very well when you said the number and severities of the threat we’re facing are probably as great as in any time in our lifetimes. I believe that you may use your position in a way where you can work with people in the White House and the National Security Council to get them to work with you, and us, to address the safety and security problems across the world.”

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