WASHINGTON, D.C. – With turmoil in the Middle East and a resurgent Russia and China chief among the challenges facing the United States, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today urged Secretary of Defense nominee Dr. Ashton Carter to shape a Department that has the versatility and flexibility to stay ahead of whatever challenges arise to U.S. interests.

During the Senate Armed Services nomination hearing today, King cited the work of shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works during the Second World War, who on average delivered a new destroyer to the Navy every 17 days, as the type of versatility and flexibility that is needed to stay ahead of the today’s global challenges.

“I think there has to be a sense of urgency. We are, if not directly at war, certainly close to war footing on a number of fronts. As you pointed out, this isn’t the Cold War where you can do things with a five, ten, fifteen year lead time,” Senator King said. “Our asymmetric advantage is technology, and if we are unable to deploy that technology on a timely basis, we are basically losing that advantage.”

Senator King also questioned Dr. Carter about how the United States can encourage our allies to contribute more to the common defense and pressed the nominee to work closely with Muslim and Arab partner and ally nations in the Middle East to effectively fight the Islamic State and Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

“One of the great strategic challenges of this moment is to enlist Muslim countries and Arab countries in the fight against ISIL. They have to realize – and I think the events of yesterday may be a galvanizing factor – that this has to be their fight,” Senator King said. “If it’s our fight, that’s what ISIL wants. They want this to be the West against Islam – but the fact that they did the horrendous murder yesterday of one of their brothers, a Sunni Muslim, I hope will be a wake-up call to the Muslim world that they’ve got to deal with these guys most directly – not simply by holding our coat, but by contributing and being involved on the ground, in the air. This has to be their fight ultimately. It’s not one that we can carry on by ourselves.”

Prior to today’s hearing, Senator King met privately with Dr. Carter earlier in January. 

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