{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-coons-statement-on-president-elect-trumps-nomination-of-general-james-mattis", "Senator Coons’ statement on President-elect Trump’s nomination of General James Mattis", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.02.16\n\t\t\t Senator Coons\u2019 statement on President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of General James Mattis \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWILMINGTON, Del. \u2013 U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense:\r\n\u201cGeneral James Mattis is a serious strategic thinker with an inspiring record of service who has rightfully earned the respect of the American people. He understands that the decision to send our brave men and women into harm\u2019s way is the gravest decision a president will face. General Mattis\u2019 tenure as CENTCOM commander provides him deep experience running U.S. military operations and extensive familiarity with the challenges confronting the United States and our allies. I would hope that General Mattis\u2019 service at NATO signals that the President-elect understands and remains committed to this critical alliance.\r\n\u201cSome of my colleagues have expressed concerns that the nomination of a recently retired former general undermines our country\u2019s deeply held tradition of civilian control of the military. I will consider this argument carefully, but our next president must be surrounded by experienced, qualified leaders who have the courage to provide unvarnished advice. Based on what I know of General Mattis, his record and experience offer a strong balance to the President-elect\u2019s lack of familiarity with foreign affairs. General Mattis is a voracious reader who learns from history and understands the importance of alliances, diplomacy, and other tools of American power and influence. I look forward to digging deeper into the implications that granting General Mattis a waiver would have on our country\u2019s history of civilian control of the military, as well as his record and experience.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 or Sean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-coons-statement-on-president-elect-trumps-nomination-of-general-james-mattis"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.160022035241127, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}