Ten Senate Democrats want Anthony Tata, President Donald Trump's nominee for the Pentagon's top policy job, to withdraw from consideration before the Senate Armed Services Committee conducts its confirmation hearing, The Hill reports.
The letter released Monday urges Tata to remove his name from the nomination list to be undersecretary of defense for domestic policy. It also asks him to resign from his current job as a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
"Your record of offensive and inflammatory comments disqualifies you from serving in your current position and the position for which you have been nominated," the Democrats penned in the letter, dated Friday.
Tata's public confirmation hearing is scheduled to take place on Thursday. The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the nomination behind closed doors, according to The Hill.
The letter was spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who is a Senate Armed Services Committee member. Four other committee members signed the letter, along with several other lawmakers from the Democratic Party.
The senators are opposed to Tata's confirmation over discriminatory tweets and comments made by the retired Army brigadier general.
In 2018, he tweeted that President Barack Obama was a "terrorist leader." He said Islam is the "most oppressive violent religion I know of." He called Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., a "vicious race baiting racist" and said she and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "have always been the same violent extremists."
Most of the tweets have been deleted. Tata issued an apology after CNN reported on his comments and several Armed Services Committee Democrats, including ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said they were opposed to his nomination. Tata called his comments an "aberration in a four decade thread of faithful public service" in his apology letter.
But the Democrats aren't accepting his apology. In their letter to Tata, they wrote that "multiple past statements cannot be dismissed simply as an aberration."
"Your letter to committee leadership appears to be a conveniently timed retraction by someone who has suddenly realized his nomination is in jeopardy," they stated. "No one with a record of repeated, repugnant statements like yours should be nominated to serve in a senior position of public trust at the Pentagon. Your views are wholly incompatible with the U.S. military's values."
Even if the Senate Democrats vote against Tata's confirmation, he will likely still be confirmed to the role. He only needs a simple majority to be confirmed to the position.
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