“Today, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the nomination of General Joseph Votel to lead U.S. Central Command. General Votel currently serves as Commander of Special Operations Command, having been nominated by President Barack Obama in 2014 to serve as the 10th Commander of United States Special Operations Command. As Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee and having previously served on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee for many years overseeing Special Operations Command, I have had the privilege of working with General Votel. I applaud his nomination and look forward to continuing to work with him.

“I thank the outgoing Commander of Central Command General Lloyd Austin for his service to our nation and his commitment to our men and women in uniform. General Austin served as 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army and led U.S. Central Command since 2013.”