{"id":84012,"date":"2021-01-14T14:09:34","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T14:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/14\/heres-why-bidens-first-defense-secretary-may-be-a-trump-appointee\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:55:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:55:22","slug":"heres-why-bidens-first-defense-secretary-may-be-a-trump-appointee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/01\/14\/heres-why-bidens-first-defense-secretary-may-be-a-trump-appointee\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s why Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may be a Trump appointee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2015 U.S. President-elect Joe Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may turn out to be President Donald Trump\u2019s last deputy defense secretary, at least for several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biden and his transition team are pushing for his national security picks to be swiftly confirmed in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week. But Pentagon watchers say an extended confirmation process in Congress for Biden\u2019s choice to lead the Pentagon could mean current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2019\/07\/24\/norquist-has-one-word-for-you-analytics\/\" target=_blank>Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist <\/a>will be asked to fill in temporarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a potential delay because Biden\u2019s nominee, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, needs a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2021\/01\/12\/all-eyes-on-reed-as-austin-waiver-splits-democrats\/\" target=_blank>congressional waiver <\/a>from a law that bars recently retired active-duty officers from serving in the top Pentagon job. The House Armed Services Committee isn\u2019t set to hold a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?safe=off&#038;sxsrf=ALeKk00J7GJMrOoWnldOTOZpgIMP5lWpkA%3A1610631911936&#038;ei=50oAYMDLOOP99AOwiJzQCQ&#038;q=site%3Adefensenews.com+smith+waiver&#038;oq=site%3Adefensenews.com+smith+waiver&#038;gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQA1CAIliVLmCFMGgAcAB4AIAB8QGIAecEkgEFMC4xLjKYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6wAEB&#038;sclient=psy-ab&#038;ved=0ahUKEwiA2-W3x5vuAhXjPn0KHTAEB5oQ4dUDCA0&#038;uact=5\" target=_blank>hearing<\/a> on the waiver until the day after Biden is sworn in, and no floor vote on the waiver has been set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That raises the question: With the nation in the midst of a rocky transition of power, and Biden\u2019s Inauguration less than a week away, who will run the Pentagon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Title 10 (the federal law governing the armed forces), a confirmed deputy secretary automatically assumes the duties, responsibilities and authorities of the defense secretary during a defense secretary\u2019s absence. Alternatively, Biden could ask current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/land\/2020\/12\/09\/mccarthy-could-serve-as-interim-army-secretary-in-biden-administration\/\" target=_blank>Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2020\/07\/06\/harker-takes-over-as-acting-pentagon-comptroller\/\" target=_blank>acting Comptroller Thomas Harker<\/a> to stay on \u2015 or ask the Senate to quickly confirm his nominee for deputy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/transition\/2020\/12\/30\/biden-selects-hicks-kahl-for-top-dod-roles\/\" target=_blank>Kathleen Hicks<\/a>, and let her serve as acting secretary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norquist has working relationships with the combatant commanders, service chiefs and leaders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Still, it\u2019s unclear how comfortable Biden and his team would be with a Trump-appointed figure running the Pentagon, even for a few days, though they may have few options.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/transition\/2021\/01\/12\/norquist-issues-guidance-on-cmo-breakup\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hershmannorquist.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Norquist issues guidance on breakup of CMO office<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The deputy defense secretary has laid out his plan for breaking up the chief management officer&#039;s organization.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Norquist and the Biden transition team declined to comment for this story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2019\/01\/02\/pentagon-comptroller-to-serve-as-acting-deputy-secretary\/\" target=_blank>stepped into<\/a> the Pentagon\u2019s No. 2 job two years ago, Norquist became known for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2019\/11\/20\/pentagon-audits-secret-to-success-is-failure\/\" target=_blank>shepherding the Department of Defense through its first audit<\/a> as the department\u2019s comptroller, but he has made headlines for championing data analytics at the Pentagon and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/2020\/06\/19\/norquist-deasy-meet-with-fcc-chairman-on-ligado-issue\/\" target=_blank>defending the DoD\u2019s spectrum<\/a> from disruptions by the telecom firm Ligado. While not overtly political, Norquist helped execute and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2019\/03\/08\/house-democrats-demand-shanahan-explain-border-wall-funding-scheme\/\" target=_blank>defend<\/a> Trump\u2019s controversial diversion of military funds to his border wall project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe good government answer is Norquist,\u201d said Arnold Punaro, a retired two-star Marine general and former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cHe is someone who would faithfully discharge the duties of the office in accordance with the priorities and direction of President Biden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe is really the one that makes the most sense. I have been a public advocate of that approach, as we should always try to follow Title 10. And also, he is No. 1 in [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2020\/12\/11\/as-term-expires-trump-shifts-pentagon-line-of-succession\/\" target=_blank>Trump\u2019s recent<\/a>] executive order for succession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2021\/01\/12\/house-democrats-austin-defense-458292\" target=_blank> Politico<\/a> has reported an effort\u2019s afoot to fast-track Austin\u2019s waiver in the House so that he can be quickly installed, the House Armed Services Committee hasn\u2019t adjusted its schedule and wasn\u2019t on track to do so Wednesday. Committee Chairman Adam Smith\u2019s plan has been to first organize his panel for the new Congress, and then have Austin testify Jan. 21 on the waiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled host Austin for his confirmation hearing on Jan. 19. If all goes smoothly, with Republicans cooperating, Democrats could theoretically avoid or overcome filibusters and have the waiver and confirmation done by Jan. 20. But if not, Austin could be in limbo for as many as 10 days while an interim leader runs the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrankly, the House and Senate should have the waiver and his confirmation as the highest priority and should set their schedules to have this done on Jan. 20,\u201d Punaro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2021\/01\/12\/all-eyes-on-reed-as-austin-waiver-splits-democrats\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-936608146.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">All eyes on Reed as Austin waiver splits Democrats<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S. Sen. Jack Reed hasn\u2019t taken over as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee yet, but he\u2019s already facing division within the panel and his party over the issue of President-elect Joe Biden\u2019s pick to lead the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Barack Obama held over President George W. Bush\u2019s defense secretary, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/30th-annivesary\/2016\/10\/25\/30-years-robert-gates-influential-insider\/\" target=_blank>Robert Gates<\/a>; and Trump, for six months, held over Obama\u2019s deputy defense secretary, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2017\/01\/13\/bob-work-confirms-he-s-staying-at-least-for-the-short-term\/\" target=_blank>Bob Work<\/a>, among others. In each of those cases, however, there was no immediate replacement waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calling Norquist a \u201ctraditional and prudent\u201d choice for Biden\u2019s interim secretary, Pete Giambastiani, a former Pentagon legislative affairs official in the Trump administration, speculated Biden\u2019s team hasn\u2019t revealed its plans on the matter for tactical reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPerhaps the incoming Biden administration doesn\u2019t want to give anybody any wiggle room by identifying acting defense and homeland security secretaries \u2015 to put the pressure on Congress to confirm his people as soon as possible,\u201d Giambastiani said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biden, his team, surrogates and allies have indeed called for his nominees to be quickly confirmed. On Wednesday, Biden grouped confirmations to lead the Pentagon and other agencies with the other pressing business for America like fixing the economy and the government\u2019s coronavirus vaccine distribution plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cToo many of our fellow Americans have suffered for too long over the past year to delay this urgent work,\u201d Biden said in a statement Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Aaron Mehta in Washington contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President-elect Joe Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may turn out to be President Donald Trump\u2019s last deputy defense secretary, at least for a several days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":36199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":62,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3216],"class_list":["post-84012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"V4WSQNTOE5GEJEDMXB26PQNO5Y","arc_canonical_url":"\/congress\/2021\/01\/14\/heres-why-bidens-first-defense-secretary-may-be-a-trump-appointee\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Here\u2019s why Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may be a Trump appointee - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President-elect Joe Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may turn out to be President Donald Trump\u2019s last deputy defense secretary, at least for a several days.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Here\u2019s why Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may be a Trump appointee\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President-elect Joe Biden\u2019s first defense secretary may turn out to be President Donald Trump\u2019s last deputy 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