Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the vote to confirm General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense:

“I believe General James Mattis will be a steady hand in the Pentagon and I support his confirmation as Secretary of Defense.

“He has ably served his country for more than four decades and I believe him to be a strong leader on national security. General Mattis is known to speak his mind, an attribute that I believe will serve him and the nation well in this administration.

“I look forward to working closely with him on a range of national security issues that will demand our immediate attention. We must prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons, challenge Russia over its intervention in Ukraine and Syria and its manipulation of our election and work with China where we can to ensure they are a force for stability, not instability. And we have to continue press the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups.

“Now is not the time to let our guard down.”

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