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About John Kline
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Why I Opposed the Secretary of DefenseCongressman John KlineMay 20, 2003Sixty-six years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent to Congress a bill to reorganize the federal judiciary. He wanted to appoint an additional justice to the Supreme Court for every sitting member over the age of 70 years… a total of six new justices in addition to the nine provided for by our Constitution.
Roosevelt’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court with like-minded justices failed to win the approval of the Congress because it would have given President Roosevelt unprecedented authority and upset the balance of power between the three branches of government.
Few could argue with the heroic leadership displayed by Roosevelt during the great Depression and World War II. The concern was not with his ability but for our nation’s future. Forward-thinking Congressional leaders feared the unforeseen and unintended consequences presented by such a transfer of power.
In a similar manner, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has offered a proposal to the House Committee on Armed Services to implement far-reaching changes in personnel policy for the Armed Services. His proposal would, among other things, grant to himself the authority to expand service time limits for senior military officers (Admirals and Generals).
As the law currently stands, senior military officers are limited in their length of service. Secretary Rumsfeld’s proposal would allow the Secretary to determine on an individual basis the length of service for each officer. The current process allows for the fluidity necessary to stimulate innovation and generate reform. The Secretary’s proposal would – in effect – create an institutionalized leadership subject to his approval.
It is this unprecedented expansion of authority which led me to join with two of my Republican colleagues and 27 Democrats to defeat Secretary Rumsfeld’s proposal in the House Armed Services Committee.
As a retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps, I am in a unique position to appreciate the innovations and reforms proposed by Secretary Rumsfeld. My 25 years of experience in the Corps grants me the perspective to call into question a reform which would stifle dissent and quell the very atmosphere of innovation sought by the Secretary.
To allow the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to serve unlimited terms, to allow the leaders of the National Guard and the Reserves to serve at the pleasure of the Chairman, and to allow 3 and 4-star generals to transfer among existing positions without Senate confirmation, would institutionalize the senior leadership of our military to the detriment of any future reform efforts.
Prior to my decision to oppose this senior officer reform, I asked the following questions:
In addition to asking these questions of many senior officers, I have weighed them against my twenty-five years of service in the United States Marine Corps. Each of those I questioned told me of their grave concern with this proposal. The responses I received validated my experience.
Those who opposed President Roosevelt’s proposal sixty-six years ago did so out of a strong conviction for the need to maintain a careful balance of power and because, though well-intentioned, it may have fundamentally altered the intention of our founding fathers.
Those of us who oppose the current proposal put forward by Secretary Rumsfeld share a similar concern for the long-term well-being of our nation. On the heels of a successful military campaign, we must consider what might make current efforts at reform easier, but also what the long-term effects will be for the future.
Although I have a great deal of respect for Secretary Rumsfeld and his leadership abilities, the role of Congress is not to be a rubber stamp for the Administration and their ideas. We must exercise our beliefs and act on behalf of the constituents we represent. Secretary Rumsfeld has proven he is the right leader at the right time, but he will not always be our Secretary of Defense. I voted against the Secretary’s proposal to ensure that future Secretaries have the same opportunity to be the right leaders in their own times.
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