Norcross, Armed Services Committee Members: Alarming Number of Vacancies in Key Positions Undermining Our National Security

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and five Democratic Members of the House Armed Services Committee wrote to President Trump urging him to take immediate action to identify and nominate qualified candidates to fill positions in his administration vital to the national security of the United States. At a time when our allies face the growing threat posed by North Korea, key ambassadorships in the Asia-Pacific remain vacant and senior roles at the Department of Defense, including posts devoted to Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Security Cooperation, are still open almost 100 days after the President's inauguration.

"We strongly urge you to make the defense and diplomacy of our nation an immediate priority by identifying and nominating qualified candidates to lead our national security departments," the lawmakers write.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

The letter also comes as the New York Times is reporting today that "Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has done almost nothing to select leaders for the White House's consideration, and nominations for assistant secretaries and others who largely run the State Department are unlikely to be made for months."

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Contact: Ally Kehoe, Communications Director
ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov