Austin fired all members serving on DOD advisory boards and also ordered “the immediate suspension of all advisory committee operations until the review is completed,” effective Feb. 16. The boards are on hold while the Pentagon completes a “zero-based review” of at least 42 defense advisory committees, according to a Jan. 30 memo.
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The review includes the more visible Defense Policy Board, Defense Science Board and Defense Business Board, as well as former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller’s four choices to serve on the congressionally mandated commission tasked with renaming Confederate-named military bases, a senior Defense official told reporters.
Austin’s message: “Advisory committees have and will continue to provide an important role in shaping public policy within DoD. That said, our stewardship responsibilities require that we continually assess to ensure each advisory committee provides appropriate value today and in the future, a
PENTAGON: TALIBAN HAS ‘NOT MET THEIR COMMITMENTS’: The Pentagon in its first briefing under the Biden administration warned the Taliban it is jeopardizing its agreement with the United States for a full U.S. military withdrawal by May.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby stressed Thursday that no decisions have been made about troop levels and that the Biden administration is still committed to last year’s U.S.-Taliban deal.
But, he bluntly said the Taliban has not yet lived up to its commitments under the deal, adding it would be difficult for the United States to move forward with the agreement if that does not change.
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Austin, who retired from the military in 2016, needs the waiver because of a 1947 law that requires Defense secretaries to be out-of-uniform for at least seven years. Both chambers of Congress need to approve the waiver.
The House approved the measure in a 326-78 vote, with opposition from 15 Democrats and 63 Republicans.
Initial concerns: Lawmakers in both parties initially expressed concern that granting a waiver for Austin would further erode the principle of civilian control of the military, particularly so soon after Congress granted a similar waiver for James Mattis, former President Trump’s first Defense secretary.
Most Democrats have since rallied around Austin, who would be the first Black secretary of Defense if confirmed by the Senate.