By The Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 12, 2013

WASHINGTON — A bitterly divided Senate panel on Tuesday approved President Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the nation's Defense secretary in a rancorous session at which Republican questioned the former GOP senator's truthfulness and challenged his patriotism.

On a party-line vote of 14-11, the Armed Services Committee voted to send the nomination to the full Senate, where Republicans have threatened to delay a vote on the president's choice to succeed Leon Pa-netta.

Democrats have the votes to confirm Hagel, a twice-wounded Vi-etnam combat veteran and former two-term Ne-braska senator, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would press ahead with a vote on the most divisive nominee of Obama's second-term national security team.

Hagel has faced fierce opposition from Republicans, who have challenged his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons, but the two-hour-plus session took an uncomfortable turn for some members of the traditionally bipartisan panel.

Freshman Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, insisted that Hagel provide information on compensation for paid speeches over a five-year period — three years more than required — and suggested that without the information, the committee wouldn't know whether Hagel got money from “extreme and radical groups.”

Cruz also suggested that Hagel's unwillingness to cooperate indicated that he was being less than forthcoming with the panel about possible payments from foreign sources.

Hagel had told the committee that during the past 10 years neither he nor his wife had received any compensation from, or been involved in any business transactions with, a foreign government or an entity controlled by a foreign government.

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, accused Cruz of going over the line.

“You basically have impugned the patriotism of the nominee” with suggestions that he is cozy with Iran, Nelson said. “You also stated your opinion that you don't think he's truthful. Those are two fairly strong statements.”

Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma said reports about Iranian leaders praising Hagel's nomination back Cruz's claim. “You can't get cozier,” the panel's top Republican said.

It fell to Republican Sen. John McCain to offer the strongest defense of his onetime friend, political ally and fellow Vietnam veteran.

“Sen. Hagel is an honorable man. No one on this committee should impugn his character and integrity,” said the Arizona lawmaker, who later voted against the nomination.

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