WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following his vote to confirm retried General Lloyd Austin as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I voted today to confirm General Lloyd Austin as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense. I worked with General Austin at MacDill Air Force Base when I was Governor of Florida, and I respect his decades of military service to our nation. Although I did not vote in favor of a waiver because Congress has clear laws in place to safeguard civilian control over the military, I do believe General Austin is qualified and ready to lead the Department of Defense. I look forward to working with General Austin to make sure America remains the strongest military force in the world and that our troops have every resource they need to protect our nation and its allies.”

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