Obama's Defense nominee to face Senate on Jan 31

US President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of defense Chuck Hagel will have his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 31, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced on Wednesday. The committee made the announcement in a statement. It came after Hagel's meetings in the past days with key lawmakers. The former senator won over the support of Charles Schumer, the number 3 Democrat in the Senate. Obama on Jan. 7 announced his decision to pick Hagel to replace the retiring Leon Panetta at the Pentagon. Hagel, 66, is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a moderate Republican. He is expected to be a trusted ally of Obama on issues including quick exit from Afghanistan. However, the nomination was met with skepticism from Republicans and the Jewish community, based primarily on Hagel's views on the Middle East peace process and his perceived lack of support for Israel.