WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman issued the following statement after voting against the nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to become the next Secretary of Defense. 

“Senator Hagel’s responses during his confirmation hearing raised more questions than they answered. His troubling comments relating to Israel, Iran and how to modernize the military—along with his divisive personality—ultimately led to my decision to vote no. Quite frankly, I think we owe it to our servicemen and women to put the best person we can find in charge of the Defense Department. There are better people out there, who don’t have Senator Hagel’s baggage, who can lead the modernization of our military in a more capable manner.”