New Hampshire U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte says Secretary of Defense nominee Ashton Carter has a strong resume, but says she’s not yet ready to pledge her support.
During a stop in Nashua Friday, Ayotte, a Republican member of the Armed Services Committee, says it’s important to get through the nomination hearing process before making that decision.
“One of the things I will want to ask him a number of questions about is the administration’s foreign policy, and what his views are for a strategy for the challenges we face, whether it’s ISIS, whether it’s Russian aggression.”
President Obama announced Carter, the former deputy defense secretary, as his selection to replace outgoing defense secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday.
In a statement, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who serves on both the armed services and foreign relations committees, described Carter as well qualified for the position, and said she’ll closely consider his nomination.
