Hegseth

Pete Hegseth was the most strongly opposed cabinet appointee because the senators knew that Hegseth was going to make drastic changes and the bureaucracy is fearful of such changes. The rule of “There shall be a Secretary of Defense, who shall be appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate: PROVIDED, That a person who has within ten years been on active duty as a commissioned officer in a Regular component of the armed services shall not be eligible for appointment as Secretary of Defense.” Has not been followed in the past two secretaries, General Mattis and Lloyd Austin but Hegseth will bring this back. In addition Hegseth will enforce Article 88 of the Military Uniform of Justices which says: Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Retirees from the National Guard and Reserve components do not have their first amendment rights taken from them while military retirees who served on active duty do and live under the threat of court martial for violating Article 88 of the UCMJ Finally, Hegseth will end the practice of retired generals going to work for defense contractors as a conflict of interest. In the past these retirees have used their influence to solicit business from the Pentagon.