Hoyer Statement on the Nomination of Gen. John Kelly to Serve as Secretary of Homeland Security

“I look forward to learning more about Gen. John Kelly, his record of service to our nation in uniform, and his readiness to take the helm of a civilian agency as large and as challenging as the Department of Homeland Security.  I am concerned that so many of the President-Elect’s nominees thus far come from the ranks of recently retired military officers.  I worry about the signal this sends to emerging democracies that may have a history of greater confidence in their militaries than in the fledgling democratic civilian institutions whose development we, as the world’s leading democracy, have worked so hard to encourage. Notwithstanding that concern, I believe each cabinet nominee will have to be assessed individually, and I hope the Senate will look carefully at Gen. Kelly’s credentials, experience, and temperament in choosing whether or not to confirm him to this important post.

“In addition, given the very serious immigration challenges facing the next administration and the harmful proposals put forward by the President-Elect during his campaign, which run counter to the values of this country and the rights enshrined in our Constitution, the decision of who will lead DHS is more important than ever before.”