Trump's deputy choice in Pentagon chooses to scrutinize the budget, and the employment discounts

Stephen Venberg, the candidate to be the upcoming Deputy Minister of Defense, sought to reassure the legislators in a confirmation session on Tuesday that the Pentagon would follow the country's laws and maintain the basic workforce amid the worthy military shake in the Trump administration.

The session was more realistic than that Defense Minister Beit Higseth, who spent hours rejecting widespread allegations of personal misconduct against Senators in January.

Higseth was later confirmed In a vote 51-50 after Vice President JD Vance broke the tie, put a sign The narrowest margin ever of the defense minister, who usually receives support for the two parties.

Feinberg, a billionaire investor, is a much cautious public figure from HegSeth and has almost the same level of cash.

In his opening statement, Finnberg presented a similar assessment of the army's higher priorities to the Biden Administration, which argued that China was its biggest challenge.

“They are completely dedicated to become the most powerful nation in the world and have dominance of the United States,” he said.

However, the Democratic Senate members have repeatedly asked about the changes in the Pentagon under the Trump administration, including the commitment to restructure the army budget, receive the workforce and replace many senior leaders of the uniform.

Friday, The administration launched Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown, Chairman of ADM. Lisa Franchetti and Deputy Chairman of the Air Force Board Jim Slav, while He also pledged to remove senior military lawyers The Air Force, the Army and the Navy. These removal operations come amid the launch of 5,400 civilian employees, the beginning of a broader government cleansing that now arrives at the army.

Acting Deputy Defense Minister Robert Solis also said the Pentagon will restructure his next budget, Converting about 50 billion dollars towards new priorities.

Finnberg, who said he had not had enough details while waiting for confirmation, did not answer many questions about the reach of these cuts and how they could harm the army's fitness to fight wars or stay politically independent.

If confirmed, it will take responsibility for the implementation of many of these efforts. The Deputy Minister works as a director inside the Pentagon, which is the main role that oversees his wide budget and the workforce.

“There is a real opportunity to make the correct discounts,” he said. “It should be thought.”

Democrats of the Senate Armed Services Committee were skeptical that the Trump administration was taking this approach.

“You can not only take the meat ax. Senator Richard Blumentel said, as:” You should use a scalpel in determining it is necessary. “

Finnberg often He cited his experience in managing the investment company Cerberus Capital to argue that he would deal with any carefully discounts. From this perch, he also discussed one of his higher priorities if confirmed: repairing the Pentagon commercial practices.

“These are very rigid and golden rules (and with) endless bases,” said Venberg of the current system, which has argued, rewarding large defense companies instead of those most innovative.

Venberg said that part of the promised restructuring worth $ 50 billion could include the transfer of funds away from such ancient systems and towards higher technical weapons, such as criticism of engraving and independence – both of which should be among the highest goals of the army.

However, not all Senate members of the committee did not like the Finnberg credentials.

The harshest criticism of his Senator Elizabeth Warren, De Mas. , He accused his company with ventilation hospitals in its original state and interrogated his potential conflicts in interests Since Cerberus has a set of defensive investments.

Vinci suspicion of her descriptions.

The Trump administration has slowly moved to confirm many high positions in the Pentagon, a list that has since expanded with the best military shooting. Policy Administration, former defense official, Elbridge Colby, will receive a confirmation session on March 4. Kulby faces questions about his less honest defensive views than many Senate Republicans.

Editor's note: This story was updated at the date of the ELBRIDGE Colby confirmation session for the Undersecretary of Policy Defense.