Malinowski is lone N.J. House member to oppose waiver for Biden nominee

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a waiver for retired U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin to serve as U.S. Secretary of Defense, with just one member of the New Jersey House delegation, Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes), voted against it.

The House approve the waiver, 326-78, with 15 Democrats and 63 Republicans voting against the measure.

Seven New Jersey Democrats who voted against a similar waiver for retired Marine Corps General James Mattis to serve as Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense in 2017 — Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-Paterson), Albio Sires (D-West New York), Donald Payne (D-Newark), Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) voted to approve the waiver for President Joe Biden’s nominee.

Two Republican House members, Reps. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) and Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), voted to award the waiver.  Smith voted for the Mattis waiver four years ago.

Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who worked with Austin while serving on the National Security Council staff in the Obama White House, was the first member of the New Jersey delegation to publicly support the waiver.

Kim, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who also supported the waiver, and Malinowski were not elected to the House until 2018.

“When President Biden announced General Austin’s nomination to lead the Department of the Defense, I said that I wanted to hear directly from him to understand how he would work to uphold civilian control over the military,” Sherrill said.  “After several conversations with General Austin, I am confident that he understands how imperative that norm is, and I am confident in his commitment to upholding it.”

The waiver now heads to the U.S. Senate.  If it passes, the Senate could then consider Austin’s nomination.

When Mattis was being considered in the Senate, Bob Menendez voted to approve the waiver and Cory Booker voted against it.