Nation : Senate Unit Ends Cheney Hearings, Schedules Approval Vote Thursday

The Senate Armed Services Committee today wound up hearings on Defense Secretary-designate Dick Cheney and scheduled an expected approval vote on his nomination for Thursday morning.

“I think Dick Cheney is very well qualified to be secretary of defense and I plan to support him,” Committee Chairman Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) said of Cheney, named by President Bush to replace John Tower after the Senate rejected Tower last week. Nunn and Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) said they hope for full Senate approval of Cheney on Friday, before the Senate begins a two-week Easter recess.

Nunn, who led the Senate fight against Tower amid allegations of drinking and womanizing by the former Texas senator, said the committee--which voted 11 to 9 against Tower--will vote on Cheney the first thing Thursday. “I don’t know of any opposition to him,” Nunn said.