WASHINGTON — There's no shortage of advice on Capitol Hill for the new defense secretary, and members have some rather lofty expectations.
Just hours after the Senate approved his nomination 93-5, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said "both [incoming] Secretary [Ashton] Carter and Congress have their work cut out for them."
But if the former deputy defense secretary needs some guideposts to help him navigate his news position, members of Congress are offering plenty.
HASC Ranking Member put it mildly when describing a job that will force Carter to deal with more across-the-board budget cuts, new threats like the Islamic State and renewed ones like Russia.
"In the current budget and political environment, this job will not be easy," Smith said in a statement.
Smith then took not easy and raised it to maybe impossible, setting a goal for Carter that has confounded many US officials and lawmakers.
"It is my hope that Ash Carter will be able to convince Congress to do away with sequestration," Smith said.
HASC Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, wants the incoming secretary to convince President Obama to alter course on Ukraine and Russia.
Turner said Thursday he hopes Carter's confirmation will lead Obama to "stop stalling and listen to his own secretary of defense, members of Congress in his own party, and numerous military and civilian leaders who have all recommended action to empower the Ukrainian army so that they can successfully confront mounting Russian aggression."
Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed, D-R.I., expects results fast, saying in a statement he expects Carter to "hit the ground running."
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., a former SASC ranking member, criticized the White House for having "no coherent strategy" on Russia, China, Iran and the Islamic State.
Inhofe expects Carter to change that.
"I will be counting on Dr. Carter to help reverse this course and I expect him to provide candid and independent counsel to our nation's commander-in-chief," Inhofe said.
Inhofe's latter point was espoused earlier Thursday by his party's leader, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
"My support is conditioned on this request: the incoming secretary needs to have the courage to speak truth to power," McConnell said on the floor. "To Congress, yes. But also to his commander in chief."
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., expects Carter will be frozen out of most major national security and foreign policy decisions.
Still, he believes Carter will be granted the freedom by the White House to manage to the Pentagon. And he laid out some goals for that work in a Thursday floor speech.
"I am hopeful about the prospects of working together with Dr.Carter, along with my colleagues in the Committee on Armed Services, to achieve our shared priorities, especially the reform of our defense acquisition system, the modernization of our military compensation system, and the repeal of sequestration," McCain said.
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While members of both parties have to-do lists for Carter, McCain is skeptical of just how much the Yale-educated physicist will be able to get done.
"But when it comes to much of our national security policy, I must candidly express concern about the task that awaits Dr. Carter and the limited influence he may have," McCain said.
"I will vote to confirm him today. I do so with sincere hope and sadly little confidence that the President who nominated Dr. Carter will empower him to lead and contribute to the fullest extent of his abilities," McCain said before the Senate vote began. "Because at a time of global upheaval and multiplying threats to our security, the American people need and deserve nothing less."
email: jbennett@defensenews.com
Twitter:@bennettjohnt
