Op-Ed: Sen. Eric Schmitt: It’s time to confirm Pete Hegseth; America’s security depends on it

Confirming Pete Hegseth means safeguarding America’s sovereignty and American lives — on our soil, on our terms — not surrendering to the whims of our enemies, Sen. Eric Schmitt writes.

President Ronald Reagan once famously said that “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” That sentiment feels more prescient each day that Pete Hegseth’s confirmation is delayed. President Donald Trump is nominating disruptors to serve in his cabinet to take on the status quo in Washington. Pete Hegseth is incredibly qualified and will restore credibility to the Pentagon, which is in desperate need of critical reform.

Unfortunately, Senate Democrats are more focused on playing politics than ensuring any kind of smooth transition. They are sabotaging not only President Trump’s foreign policy agenda but also America’s standing in the world.

The American people are physically and emotionally drained by the Biden-Harris administration’s repeated failures and the bureaucratic status quo. This last November, they decisively chose President Trump to lead, rejecting the ineffective and failed leadership of the Biden administration. Now, Republicans in the Senate must act with urgency to confirm Pete Hegseth, who is a bold leader committed to prioritizing America’s safety and strength.

Strong leadership is desperately needed at this crucial moment, and Pete Hegseth will bring that to the Department of Defense. For too long, the Washington bureaucrats have been detached from the day-to-day realities of military service, which has stifled our defense systems.

With the experience of having served in combat, Pete understands the harsh realities of war and knows which reforms are necessary to reduce its human and financial toll. The American people are exhausted with empty promises and ineffective leadership, and Pete’s sacrifice and service exemplify the commitment and vision America desperately needs.

Pete and I recently met to discuss his nomination and our shared priorities, and I am confident that he is the right man for the job. We addressed eliminating the ineffective Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, along with implementing cost-effective and efficient reforms to streamline procurement processes and respond more effectively to emerging threats and real-time challenges.

I fully support Pete’s nomination to lead the Department of Defense. Pete will restore the Pentagon’s standing as one of the world’s most respected institutions and resolve its longstanding procurement issues. Pete is also committed to eliminating dangerous and costly “wokeness” from our military institutions while restoring strength, trust, and respect — values I strongly support.

There is frankly no one better to lead our military and veterans. More than 100 Navy SEAL veterans support Pete’s nomination. His two decades of military service, two Bronze Stars, Ivy League education, and outspoken advocacy for military reform make him uniquely qualified. Why would some Senate members want to delay the confirmation of a man with over 20 years of distinguished military service? How could anyone oppose a two-Bronze Star-decorated Army Combat Veteran, an Ivy League graduate, and a passionate advocate for military reform?

Another truth that not many in Washington say out loud is the underlying reality that our defense industrial base is more constrained than it has been in decades. We have nearly depleted our industrial capacity to actually produce the weapons and munitions we desperately need to defend our allies and deter our adversaries. What kind of national defense can the United States expect to have if we cannot make the ammunition to properly arm ourselves against hostile threats like the People’s Republic of China? As the United States faces the existential threat of a rapidly modernizing military by the People’s Republic of China, it’s long overdue that the United States take a hard look at how we can remobilize and revitalize our industrial base.

But sadly under Joe Biden and Lloyd Austin’s lack of leadership, the Pentagon has failed its seventh consecutive audit, unable to account for its staggering $824 billion budget. Rather than prioritizing the defense systems and infrastructure to prepare against growing threats from China and the Middle East, the Biden administration has instead focused on transforming America’s military academies into ideological battlegrounds.

Pete Hegseth understands our military cannot be some grand social experiment. Serving the United States needs to be the core mission of our armed forces first and foremost, not being pawns in cultural battles. Toxic ideologies like Critical Race Theory have unnecessarily overshadowed military readiness and capability, sowing division when unity is needed most.

Many of America’s brave servicemen and women have volunteered and made the ultimate sacrifice to serve their country. When our servicemen and women return home, they deserve the best services and treatment for keeping America’s communities and shores safe from global threats. It is incumbent on America’s leaders and institutions to understand that our veterans deserve respect, and the best treatment and services available when they return from abroad.

Foreign policy doesn’t matter. Until it does. Weak leadership at home has enabled hostile regimes to test America’s limits. In just four years, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris presided over a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, depleted our munition stockpiles in Europe while an aggressive China increasingly demonstrates its intentions to invade Taiwan, and wrung their hands while witnessing the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.

That is why confirming Pete Hegseth as our next Defense Secretary is about more than simply fulfilling President Trump’s foreign policy vision — it is a call to put America First.

It represents the strategic move needed to restore accountability, efficiency, and integrity within the Department of Defense. It is about restoring the Pentagon to what it once was — a beacon of hope, freedom, and strength in a constantly volatile world, ensuring those who serve do so with purpose and respect.

Confirming Pete Hegseth means safeguarding America’s sovereignty and American lives — on our soil, on our terms — not surrendering to the whims of our enemies. This decision isn’t just about today; it’s about securing a stronger, safer future of America for generations to come.

Sen. Eric Schmitt represents Missouri in the U.S. Senate.