Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with reporters after meeting with Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 11, 2024. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press
Republican Sen. Susan Collins voted Thursday against advancing President Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary, who has faced allegations of heavy drinking, financial mismanagement and abusive behavior toward women.
Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the two Republicans to vote against Pete Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News commentator, in a procedural vote on Thursday.
But in the end, it didn’t matter. Hegseth’s nomination advanced by a 51-49 margin. The Senate could cast a final vote on his confirmation as soon as Friday.
Collins’ position on the nominee was closely watched by political observers. Republicans, who hold 53 Senate seats, can only afford to lose three members without tanking any of Trump’s nominees. Vice President JD Vance would cast the deciding vote in a 50-50 tie.
Maine’s junior senator, Angus King, also voted against Hegseth Thursday. King, an independent, had already voted against the nominee as a member of the Armed Services Committee.
Collins, who plans to seek reelection in 2026, has yet to say how she will vote on other controversial Trump nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic who has been nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman accused of being influenced by pro-Russia propaganda who has been nominated as the director of national intelligence.
Gabbard is expected to have a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee Jan. 30, the day after Kennedy is expected to have a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Collins serves on both committees, and King serves on the intelligence committee.
Collins, who met with Hegseth last month, did not speak on the floor before casting her vote against him.
This is the written statement she issued following her vote:
“After careful consideration, I have decided to vote against Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.
“Our military is under tremendous pressure right now. Active conflicts in the Middle East and Europe combined with escalating threats in the Pacific, all against a backdrop of severe financial challenges and four years of ineffective leadership by the Biden Administration, make this an especially critical time for those who lead our military. The next Secretary of Defense will be responsible for managing a massive bureaucracy that includes nearly three million employees and a budget of nearly $850 billion. In addition, our next Secretary faces long-standing procurement and supply issues that continued to worsen under the Biden Administration.
“In sum, the Secretary is going to be facing a number of incredibly complex problems that are going to require highly skilled management ability. I am concerned that Mr. Hegseth does not have the management experience and background that he will need in order to tackle these difficulties. His limited managerial experience involved running two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results.
“I am also concerned about multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. He and I had a candid conversation in December about his past statements and apparently evolving views. I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.
“Women comprise nearly 18 percent of our active-duty military. They continue to make critical and valuable contributions to our national defense. I have long advocated that women who wish to serve in and can meet the rigorous standards of combat roles should be able to do so. And numerous women have proved that they can accomplish this difficult feat.
“Currently, thousands of women are serving in combat roles and many others serve in non-combat functions. Their service is essential to the success of our military.
“Mr. Hegseth also appears to lack a sufficient appreciation for some of the policies that the military is required to follow because they are codified in the laws of the United States of America. While I understand his points on the importance of up-to-date and workable rules of engagement, our prohibitions against torture come from American laws and treaties ratified by the United States, including the Geneva Conventions.
“Therefore, I will vote against the nomination.”
