The Senate confirmed billionaire investor Stephen Feinberg as the next deputy defense secretary on Friday, approving his nomination with a 59-40 vote despite strong opposition from most Democrats.

Feinberg, co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management and a major donor to former President Donald Trump, faced significant scrutiny during his confirmation process over his reluctance to explicitly name Russia as the aggressor in Ukraine and his support for civilian workforce reductions at the Pentagon.

Feinberg’s confirmation hearing last month was marked by tense exchanges with Democratic senators, particularly over his refusal to acknowledge Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Instead, he maintained that he did not want to “speak out of turn” or “undermine” ongoing diplomatic negotiations. His stance drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a former Navy captain, who pressed him on the issue.

“Mr. Feinberg, we’ve got to live in the real world here,” Kelly said. “For us not to be able to say an obvious fact is—it doesn’t help a negotiation.”

Another major point of contention was Feinberg’s endorsement of planned layoffs at the Department of War, which could affect tens of thousands of civilian employees.

Feinberg, who has built a career in corporate restructuring, defended these cuts, suggesting they could ultimately strengthen the department. “Every organization goes through some turnover when you have, really, needs to improve,” he explained.

“Initially, it’s difficult, but the top people will step up and it can be ultimately improving the culture.” However, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged Feinberg to take a more nuanced approach, warning against mass firings.

“You have to use a scalpel to determine who is necessary and not, and eliminating waste doesn’t mean you lay waste to the Department of War,” Blumenthal cautioned.

Despite Democratic concerns, Republicans praised Feinberg’s business acumen and management experience, arguing that his leadership would bring much-needed reform to the Pentagon. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Feinberg “a perfect person” for the role.

“He’s well spoken, he’s calm, he’s understated,” Wicker said. “He will be largely invisible, but he is the man to help us rebuild the military, reform the way the Pentagon does business, and turn this unaudited Pentagon bureaucracy around.”

Feinberg has vowed to apply his private-sector expertise to address inefficiencies within the Pentagon, particularly in tackling its long-standing failure to pass an audit.

He announced plans to establish a “war room” dedicated to financial oversight, stating, “We’re going to understand where our costs are, why we don’t have our audit, where the financial problems are, and then come up with a plan to fix it. It’s a big war room, and I think the Pentagon will support it and I think the people will be excited to see it as well.”

Feinberg’s nomination underscores the broader debate over the role of business leaders in government, especially in managing large, complex institutions like the Department of War.

While supporters believe his financial background will help streamline operations and improve efficiency, critics worry that his approach to workforce reductions and his reluctance to take firm stances on geopolitical issues may create further challenges for the Pentagon.

As the new deputy defense secretary, Feinberg will be responsible for overseeing the Pentagon’s daily operations, workforce, and budget processes.

He has prioritized addressing ammunition shortages, advancing aircraft development, modernizing nuclear capabilities, and accelerating progress on hypersonic weapons.

Meanwhile, his ability to balance cost-cutting measures with maintaining military readiness and employee morale will be closely watched in the coming months.

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