{"id":63450,"date":"2022-12-09T16:39:33","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T16:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/12\/09\/time-running-out-for-pentagon-nominees\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:44:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:44:24","slug":"time-running-out-for-pentagon-nominees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2022\/12\/09\/time-running-out-for-pentagon-nominees\/","title":{"rendered":"Time running out for Pentagon nominees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Pentagon leaders fear the chance of advancing a slate of critical department nominations this year is dwindling amid ongoing opposition on Capitol Hill<\/a>, and they\u2019re warning that delays could cause significant hardship for military operations in the months to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With only one week of scheduled work left for the Senate this year, 10 senior defense nominations await votes from the chamber. Several have been pending for months. Lester Martinez-Lopez, President Joe Biden\u2019s pick to be assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, has been awaiting confirmation since January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of a congressional session typically brings with it a flurry of confirmations of noncontroversial candidates. But in recent days, several Republican senators have vowed to block some or all Defense Department nominations over separate disagreements with the Biden administration, dimming the prospect for completing the work this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And since a new session of Congress begins next month<\/a>, any nominees who aren\u2019t confirmed by the end of this year will have to refile paperwork and restart the confirmation process, a situation that potentially leaves them waiting for additional months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese holds are hamstringing an organization at a time when we have a pacing challenge in China, an acute threat from Russia,\u201d a senior defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of negotiations between the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. \u201cThese are the people who would serve as connective tissue between the president, the White House, the secretary and the deputy, the uniformed military, and career bureaucracy \u2014 and that\u2019s a really important role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a time when Congress is telling us to run faster, compete with China, focus more on Taiwan, focus more on acquisitions, do a better job recruiting, they\u2019re also saying: \u2018And oh, by the way, do it without 10 highly qualified civilian nominees.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon planners say that without service-level, workforce-focused personnel in place like Franklin Parker, the pick to be assistant secretary of Navy manpower and reserve affairs, and Agnes Schaefer, nominated to the same role for the Army, the services are less equipped to tackle difficult issues like sexual assault and recruiting shortfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are individuals who I think would be well placed to inspire more people to consider service. They will be focused on the best practices in recruiting and retention. And again, they\u2019re not in their seats,\u201d the defense official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other nominees on hold are Radha Plumb, Biden\u2019s pick for deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, and Laura Taylor-Kale, the pick for assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon officials argue that both would be pivotal to ramping up the defense-industrial base and military aid to Ukraine, which are bipartisan priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Radha Plumb received the nomination for deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. (Lisa Ferdinando\/U.S. Defense Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Senate Democratic leaders could force votes on each nominee in the coming days. But that\u2019s seen as unlikely, given the time-consuming nature of passing through parliamentary hurdles for each one, a process that can take several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chamber\u2019s legislative schedule is already bogged down by passage of the annual defense authorization bill<\/a>, a Ukraine spending package and a potential full-year appropriations deal, items that leaders hope to clear by Dec. 16. If there\u2019s any spare time for nominees, Democratic leaders appear to be using it to confirm judges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., and fellow Democrats plan next week to call up the Pentagon nominees individually on the chamber floor in hopes of catching the Republicans off guard, or at least forcing them to come to the floor to object, according to a Senate Democratic aide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the list of objectors is long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., announced plans to hold all pending defense nominations because of unanswered questions regarding military policies on abortion access for troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staffers received a briefing from the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs on Thursday. Tuberville announced Friday he had dropped his holds but may reinstate the blocks in coming days over what he sees as an illegal policy to help pregnant troops obtain abortions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., announced plans to hold several nominees over the Pentagon\u2019s mandate that all troops get vaccinated against COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mandate repeal is expected to pass by the end of the week as part of the defense authorization bill, but Lankford said he would maintain the hold because of \u201cmajor concerns over DoD\u2019s unwillingness to grant religious accommodations\u201d for vaccine refusers.<\/p>\n\n\n\t