02.12.15

Durbin Votes To Confirm Ashton Carter To Be Secretary Of Defense

Senator spoke about Carter’s knowledge of the important work done at Rock Island Arsenal

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate prior to a vote confirming Dr. Ashton Carter as our nation’s 25th Secretary of Defense. The Senate confirmed Dr. Carter on a vote of 93 to 5. During his speech, Durbin spoke about Dr. Carter’s appreciation for the men and women who work at the Rock Island Arsenal during their meeting last month. A photo from that meeting is available HERE.

“In our discussions I was pleased to hear his appreciation for the organic industrial base – especially one near and dear to my heart: the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois,” Durbin said. “He recalled his experiences in Afghanistan as he tried to bring our troops the body armor and the armored vehicles they needed. He recalled working alongside the great employees – the dedicated employees – at the Rock Island Arsenal as they delivered the necessary life-saving equipment to our troops and rolled it off their assembly lines in record time.”  

In addition to being the second-highest ranking member of the United States Senate, Durbin is the Vice Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee which oversees funding for the military and intelligence communities, our national security requirements and the daily needs of over two million active duty and reserve servicemembers.