“We really need a confirmed secretary of defence at the earliest possible time,” McConnell said. “I am hopeful and optimistic we'll be able to do that before the August recess … I do think there's enough time to do it.”
President Donald Trump nominated Esper, previously his secretary of the Army, to be the next defence secretary in June after his previous choice, acting defence secretary Patrick Shanahan, withdrew from consideration following accusations of domestic abuse.
Esper, 55, previously worked as a vice president for government relations at the Raytheon Company and is an Army, Defence Department, and Capitol Hill veteran who served in the Gulf War.