BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today regarding the resignation of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel:

“Our country owes a debt of gratitude to Secretary Hagel for his service and steadfast commitment to protecting our nation and advancing our national security interests during his tenure as Secretary of Defense, and indeed, during a lifetime of public service that began as an Army Sergeant in Vietnam. I have gotten to know Chuck well over the past two years and have been impressed with his intelligence, integrity, and devotion to duty in a tough environment. I'll miss working with him and certainly hope he remains engaged in public service.

“As we continue to work with our allies and partners to combat the rise of ISIL, attempt to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan, deal with a resurgent Russia and rising China, face the specter of the return of sequestration, and further position ourselves to confront threats across the world and protect our vital national interests, it is imperative that we have an experienced and visionary leader at the helm of the Defense Department to replace Secretary Hagel. I hope the President will nominate a successor soon and that the Senate Armed Services Committee will quickly consider that nomination.”

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