Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has voted for 19 of President Joe Biden’s previous 21 nominees in 2021.
Murkowski voted against confirming former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and did not vote to confirm former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.
She voted for Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted to confirm all of then-President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees. (Getty Images)
Alaska’s senior senator is facing a host of attacks from the president Donald TrumpTheir supporters turned against his nominee to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth.
“I commend Pete Hegseth’s service to our nation, including leading troops in combat and advocating for our veterans. However, these accomplishments do not alleviate my important concerns about his nomination,” Murkowski said in a lengthy statement published by X this week.
She expressed concerns about his lack of relevant experience in Pentagon policy, as well as allegations that he had diarrhea two veterans organizations he previously led, and accusations of sexual assault and heavy drinking – all of which Hegseth has denied.
“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to allay my concerns, the past behaviors admitted by Mr. Hegseth, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate the intolerable lack of judgment for someone leading our armed forces,” Murkowski wrote.
Moderate Republican Murkowski will not support Trump’s choice of Hegseth for Defense Secretary
Senator Lisa Murkowski opposes Pete Hegseth’s nomination. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Among those who criticized her stance was Rep. Derek Van Orden, R-Wisconsin, a former Navy SEAL. Van Orden targeted Murkowski for voting for Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over his leadership during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“I voted for the two men responsible for the deaths of these 13 heroes. The Internet is forever, your time in office,” Van Orden wrote on X, referring to service members killed during a suicide bombing in Kabul.
“I highly encourage you to fire the staff who gave you this terrible advice and wrote your X post.”
However, some on the right agree with Murkowski. One GOP lawmaker previously told the Fox News Digitizer of Hegseth, “The Army fired that people are acting like Hegseth. [Defense Secretary] It will cause problems with discipline. “
Sen. Lisa Murkowski opposed the nomination of then-HHS Chief Secretary Joe Biden. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Murkowski Politico said In 2020, “all presidents have a right to the Cabinet,” but it is the Senate’s responsibility to make sure those people are “good and credible nominees.”
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Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is Also opposed to Hegsethvoted for all of Biden’s Cabinet nominees in 2021.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Murkowski’s office for comment.
