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Sen. Mazie Hirono sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee which will conduct the confirmation hearings for Secretary of Defense. Her office released a statement following Sen. Chuck Hagel’s nomination to the post: 

“President Obama is to be commended for nominating a Republican Senator to serve in one of the top positions in his Cabinet. Senator Hagel is a decorated combat veteran and has a long history of standing up for the men and women who serve our country. He served bravely in the Vietnam War and was awarded two Purple Hearts. Senator Hagel would be the first enlisted soldier and first Vietnam veteran to serve as Secretary of Defense.

… “In the coming months and years, our country could face a series of potentially devastating cuts to defense and military spending, which is of particular importance to Hawaii. Hawaii is home to U.S. Pacific Command and over 100,000 service members, their families and Department of Defense civilian employees. The military is the state’s second largest industry and supports over 134,000 Hawaii jobs in the public and private sectors. I look forward to getting to know Senator Hagel and discussing his views on how these cuts and President Obama’s Asia pivot policy will affect Hawaii.”