The incoming Biden administration is continuing to come into focus. The president-elect’s nomination of retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to be Defense secretary, who would be the first Black man to head the Pentagon, means Joe Biden passed over a woman long considered a frontrunner for the job: Michelle Flournoy.

And as a recently retired officer, Austin requires a waiver from the House and Senate, which brings up considerations of civilian control of the military. CQ Roll Call senior staff writer John Donnelly discusses the nomination.

Show notes:

• Biden: Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense (The Atlantic)
• Biden’s Pentagon nominee faces skepticism
• NDAA envisions new military policies on sexual assaults
• COVID-19 vaccine: Navy’s top officer outlines distribution priorities