The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately comment.
Most of the Democrats in the armed services opposed Tata. The panel’s top Democrat, Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, praised the decision to cancel Thursday’s hearing.
“We are a bipartisan committee. It’s fair to say that members on both sides of the aisle have raised serious questions about this candidate, “Reed said in a statement.” We had a closed session on Tuesday and today’s public hearing has been canceled. “
“President Inhofe did the right thing here, and it is clear that this nomination will not go anywhere without a full, fair and open hearing,” added Reed.
A retired army brigadier general and regular member of Fox News, Tata was expected to have a tough audience. A few days after being formally nominated in June, CNN reported that in 2018, Tata called Obama a “terrorist leader” and called Islam “the most oppressive violent religion I know” in tweets now removed.
Tata also mocked Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) On Twitter. And she shared an article that promoted a conspiracy theory that Obama was a “Manchurian candidate,” among other tweets Democrats have struggled with.
The controversy could not come at a worse time for the Pentagon. If confirmed, Tata would take over Pentagon policy as the military grapples with racial issues in the wake of nationwide protests.
As the Trump administration lobbied to confirm Tata, military leaders are taking steps to increase diversity and foster greater respect in the ranks. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has also been walking a fine line between President Donald Trump and his own ranks, including issuing a policy that effectively prohibits public displays of the Confederate flag.
“Based on his tweets and what has been reported about him, he appears to be on the other side of that metric,” said one person with knowledge of the discussions about how to get Tata through the confirmation process. “His nomination [comes] at a time when the entire department is moving in a different direction. “
Tata has tried to back off her comment amid controversy. In a letter to Inhofe and Reed, Tata expressed his regret over the tweets and called his comments “completely misplaced” and an “aberration” in his long career.
Democrats are not convinced. Ten Senate Democrats sent Tata a letter this week asking her to withdraw from the confirmation process.
“Nominees should see the value that diversity, inclusion and unity bring to our institutions,” they wrote. “Unfortunately, their public comment record does not meet this standard.”
A Republican, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, warned that he may oppose Tata, although not for the reasons that Democrats want to reject his nomination. Cramer, a Trump ally, is pushing for the Pentagon to support adding the names of the 74 sailors who died in a 1969 collision aboard the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and has threatened to oppose Tata as a lever.
The committee has 27 members: 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats. If all Democrats oppose Tata, only a Republican senator would need to break ranks to block his confirmation.
The Senate will have little time to confirm to Tata if the Armed Services decide to consider him after the August recess. The camera is scheduled to be in session for just 22 days in September and October before the election. A significant portion of that time is likely to be spent passing financing legislation to avoid a government shutdown and negotiating defense policy compromise legislation.
Tata’s background as a Trump career and defense military officer on Fox, including endorsing Trump’s actions on the border and the firing of Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer last fall for handling the crimes case of War with former Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher may also cause senators to wonder if he’s qualified for one of the Pentagon’s top civilian jobs.
“It doesn’t fit the pattern of previous USDP nominations in Republican or Democratic administrations, individuals whose full careers are in that field, people who are known and respected,” said the person with knowledge of Tata’s confirmation process.
Separately, Tata retired from the military in 2009 after an investigation by the inspector general found that he had extramarital affairs with “at least two” women early in his career, according to a North Carolina-based News & Observer report, derived from a complaint of adultery that involved three issues and a son born out of wedlock.
If confirmed, Tata would have replaced John Rood, who was ousted as the Pentagon’s chief policy officer in February amid allegations that he was insufficiently loyal to Trump.
