Obama’s Pentagon pick prepares for senators

Ashton Carter, the president’s nominee for Defense secretary, will likely have his confirmation hearing during the first week of February, according to a congressional aide.

Carter is recovering from back surgery, but is working with a transition team to prepare for the hearing, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Obama’s nominee is likely to face tough questioning from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, particularly when it comes to the Pentagon’s strategy against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which critics say is not aggressive enough.

Senators are also likely to question whether Carter plans to approve more detainee releases from Guantanamo Bay, and how he plans to deal with a looming round of defense cuts.

The Pentagon is poised to defend a 2016 Defense budget request that will be over budget caps set by Congress. Lawmakers will need to cut that request or raise the budget caps, or else federal funding will be automatically and indiscriminately slashed.

Carter, a veteran of the Pentagon, is known for having strong opinions, and it remains how he will fit in with a White House known for micromanaging defense policy.

Still, Carter is well-respected and liked by the committee’s members and its chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and is expected to be confirmed. 

Current Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced his resignation in November, after reportedly clashing with members of the National Security Council over defense policy, including U.S. policy on Russia and Syria.