Although New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee the person he defeated for the seat, Heather Wilson, was introduced at her hearing for Air Force secretary by South Dakota's two earth hater senators.
“My nomination was unexpected. I did not anticipate returning to federal service,” she said. In her written testimony Wilson basically asked Congress to send more money to defense firms she used to work for. She has disclosed at least some of her ties to the military/industrial complex.
Wilson has been a compelling figure in NM politics but it's her after-congress record that's under scrutiny.
As university president Wilson has an annual salary of $373,819 at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, draws $200,333 a year as a board member of Peabody Energy and $46,000 annually from Sioux Falls, SD-based Raven Industries. Raven received $17.5 million from the Air Force between 1981 and October 2016.
Nutball Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe opened the proceedings saying he is an "active commercial pilot." How he does that as a senator remains a mystery. South Dakota's junior senator, one of the least effective members of Congress said of Wilson's nomination, "South Dakota's loss will be our nation's gain." Rapid City-based Black Hills Energy has given generously to her campaigns.
When asked by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) why Lockheed settled the Sandia Corp. lobbying case in 2015, Wilson said to ask Sandia. Reed pressed her on whether she kept records of her work for national labs but Wilson evaded saying she complied with her contract.
During Thursday's hearing John McCain (R-AZ) called Air Force fighter platform cost overruns a scandal. Boasting a $400,000 pilot's helmet the F-35 is history's first trillion-dollar weapons system. The Air Force could pay pilots as much as a half-million dollars to stay in uniform. Wilson refused a promise to keep the F-15 in service.
During testimony Wilson showed some familiarity with hazardous chemical residues on Air Force bases.
When Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) asked Wilson about LGBT rights the rumored closeted Wilson responded that she does not intend to overturn existing policies. Wilson received the most fire from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Firebrand Warren told Wilson to expect written questions about ethics issues.
Nutwad Joni Ernst (earth hater-IA) succeeded in making Wilson look like the smartest woman in the room.
South Dakota's senior senator has said socialized air service is essential to his red moocher state.
Wilson is the first of Trump's military service nominees to move forward in the process. His picks for Army and Navy withdrew.
It does make one wonder what Trump's Kompromat Cabinet will do to America.
She is expected to be confirmed. A transcript of the hearing is linked here.
@Khanoisseur Even Heather Wilson, SecAF nominee/apparent post-USSR opportunist, has a Gazprom problem to shed. pic.twitter.com/2nRcAmIhd3— Milo M. (@Ex67T20) March 31, 2017
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