Navy Secretary Nominee Withdraws from Consideration
Philip Bilden’s ethics violations disqualify him from office
By Hannah Rouse
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
MUCH TO THE SURPRISE OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, nominee for secretary of the Navy, Philip Bilden, withdrew himself from consideration for the position. He said in a statement on February 26, 2017, that he would be unable to fulfill the position due to his inability to comply with the requirements of the Office of Government Ethics surrounding his personal finances. The worry of many is that this is a recurring issue among many of President Trump’s picks. Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, said in his statement that he would recommend another nominee to President Trump in the coming days.
To many this came as a surprise, including many of the people in the administration as well. According to a tweet by Sean Spicer addressing claims that Bilden would soon withdraw, “. . . he is 100% committed to being the next SECNAV pending Senate confirm.” To many outside of the administration, however, this was not a shock. Earlier in the month, the Army secretary nominee, Vincent Viola, withdrew for similar reasons.
Though currently no replacement has been named, many speculate that these withdrawals show a much deeper tension in the White House. Many think that President Trump and Secretary of Defense Mattis are butting heads over the next nominee for the position. Mattis sees no issue in placing Democrats in the position, as he sees national security as a bipartisan issue. This is a problem for President Trump, however, due to his rather large plans to grow the Navy. In the past he has vowed to increase the size of the Navy’s fleet to 350 ships, much larger than its current 274.
Understanding Bilden’s reason for withdrawal will also help citizens to understand the quiet disagreements found within the first one hundred days of the administration. Bilden recently retired after 25 years from a private equity investment management firm called HarbourVest Partners, which he co-founded. This is not unfamiliar to the administration due to the abundance of millionaires and billionaires among President Trump’s picks.
Many people within the administration expect to hear of a replacement within the coming week or so. This will likely be a good measure of Trump’s cooperation — not just for the improvement of his own administration, but for the good of the nation as a whole.
