By Emelie Rutherford
After raising concerns about the White House’s pick for two new Air Force leaders, a key lawmaker said he has received classified material he requested on the duo and hopes to decide on their confirmations this week.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said yesterday his panel has received “a lot of information” on two matters related to Air Force chief of staff nominee Gen. Norton Schwartz, the current U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) commander, and TRANSCOM head nominee Gen. Duncan McNabb, now service vice chief of staff.
Levin and SASC Ranking Member John McCain (R-Ariz.) have wanted to know what, if any, role Schwartz and McNabb played in nuclear-related mishaps and potential illegal lobbying for C-17 aircraft, and previously said the committee “will find it difficult to proceed” with the nominations without more information.
Levin said the SASC has received a classified chapter of Adm. Kirkland Donald’s report on Air Force nuclear-handling mishaps. Levin and McCain requested the chapter from the Pentagon in a July 15 letter about Schwartz and McNabb’s nominations. The SASC chairman said he also has been briefed on a draft of a Defense Department Inspector General (DOD IG) report on potential Air Force lobbying for C-17 aircraft. He and McCain requested the final report.
The C-17 investigation “is still ongoing,” DOD IG spokeswoman Jennifer Plozai said yesterday.
Levin said he won’t “comment on the substance of what we’ve discussed” in private about the Air Force nominees, and that the SASC’s review of them is “ongoing.”
“I don’t have any comment as to where my own views are yet until we’re done with our review,” he said.
He said “hopefully” the SASC can “resolve” the Air Force nominations this week, before Congress leaves for a five-week recess. Levin said he does not know if all three nominees would be acted on at once, or at different times.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) also raised concerns about Schwartz at the SASC’s July 22 confirmation hearing for Schwartz, McNabb and Air Force secretary nominee Michael Donley.
At the time, Nelson asked Schwartz about testimony on Iraq the general gave the committee during classified sessions in 2003, when he was Joint Staff director for operations. The senator suggested last week Schwartz was “not adequately forthcoming” during the 2003 sessions.
Schwartz replied: “Senator Nelson, I did not answer your questions directly, and by definition that is not sufficiently forthcoming.”
The matter was discussed in a closed session following the confirmation hearing.
Nelson said yesterday he could not comment yet on whether he has received all the information he wants on Schwartz’s past testimony, or on whether he plans to support the general’s proposed promotion.
“I’m just not going to answer right now, until I draw a conclusion,” Nelson said, adding he may have an answer later this week.
The SASC held a closed session on the Air Force nominees for nearly two hours on Monday. Following the private briefing, Levin and other SASC members in attendance declined to comment on what they covered, saying classified material was discussed.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), when asked, said the topic was not the Donald nuclear report, but was another secret report that he did not identify.
SASC number-two Republican Sen. John Warner (R) after the Monday briefing said the committee was “very thoroughly and carefully” gathering information on the air service nominees. Levin at the time said no specific action was taken as a result of the classified briefing.
The SASC has scheduled a closed executive session with Schwartz for this morning. A notice announcing today’s meeting, released late yesterday, states the topic is to “continue to discuss classified matters pending before the Committee.”
In addition, Levin planned to meet last night with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
“There’s a number of classified things that we have to talk about,” the senator said.