
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on July 18 approved the nominations of the Pentagon’s top two civil and military officials, paving a path for the full Senate to confirm both Mark Esper as the new Secretary of Defense and Army Gen. Mark Milley as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff early next week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed cloture on Esper’s nomination Thursday afternoon. SASC Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) told reporters that a vote…