Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, or ASD(LA), is the head of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, responsible for providing support to the Secretary of Defense (SecDef) in his/her dealings with the United States Congress. In addition to serving as SecDef's legislative adviser, the ASD(LA) promotes the Department of Defense's strategy, legislative priorities, policies, and budget before Congress. In carrying out these responsibilities, the ASD(LA) directs a team of managers, action officers, and support personnel who help direct, monitor and manage communications and activities between Congress and elements of the Department of Defense.[1] The ASD(LA) is considered a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
History
This office was established as Special Assistant (Legal, Legislative, and Public Affairs) upon the creation of the National Military Establishment in 1947 (the NME was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949). This was one of three special assistants to the first Secretary of Defense.[2]
The post was retitled Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legal and Legislative Affairs) in August 1949 based on amendments to the National Security Act (P.L. 81-216) that authorized three Assistant Secretaries of Defense.[2]
The position was abolished in 1953, with its functions divided and transferred to the General Counsel and the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative and Public Affairs), new posts established as the result of DoD Reorganization Plan No. 6 (June 1953) and Defense Directive 5122.1 (September 1953).[2]
This position was abolished again in 1957, with its functions divided and transferred to Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) and Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs), new posts established by Defense Directive 5105.13 (August 1957).[2]
Since 1957, the responsibilities of this position have stayed mostly constant, but the title has changed between Assistant Secretary of Defense and Assistant to the Secretary of Defense five times, largely because the Secretary of Defense has historically been authorized a limited number of assistant secretaries. [nb 1] The position was given statutory standing as the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) by the National Defense Authorization Act for FY1994 (P.L. 103-160), passed November 30, 1993.[2]
Office Holders
The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.
| Name | Tenure | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Assistant (Legal, Legislative, and Public Affairs) | |||
| Marx Leva | September 18, 1947 – September 11, 1949 | James V. Forrestal | Harry Truman |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legal and Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Marx Leva | September 12, 1949 - May 1, 1951 | Louis A. Johnson George C. Marshall |
Harry Truman |
| Daniel K. Edwards | May 3, 1951 - November 19, 1951 | George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett |
Harry Truman |
| Charles A. Coolidge | November 20, 1951 - December 31, 1952 | Robert A. Lovett | Harry Truman |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative and Public Affairs) | |||
| Frederick A. Seaton | September 15, 1953 - February 20, 1955 | Charles E. Wilson | Dwight Eisenhower |
| Robert Tripp Ross | March 15, 1955 - February 20, 1957 | Charles E. Wilson | Dwight Eisenhower |
| Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Brig. Gen. Clarence J. Hauck, Jr. | April 1957 - April 1959 | Charles E. Wilson Neil H. McElroy |
Dwight Eisenhower |
| George W. Vaughan | April 1959 - March 1960 | Neil H. McElroy Thomas S. Gates |
Dwight Eisenhower |
| Brig. Gen. James D. Hittle | March 1960 - November 1960 | Thomas S. Gates | Dwight Eisenhower |
| Norman S. Paul | January 25, 1961 - June 30, 1962 | Robert S. McNamara | John F. Kennedy |
| David E. McGiffert | August 8, 1962 - June 30, 1965 | Robert S. McNamara | John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson |
| Jack L. Stempler | December 13, 1965 - January 4, 1970 | Robert S. McNamara Clark M. Clifford Melvin R. Laird |
Lyndon Johnson Richard Nixon |
| Richard G. Capen, Jr. | January 5, 1970 - May 1, 1971 | Melvin R. Laird | Richard Nixon |
| Rady A. Johnson | May 2, 1971 - March 10, 1973 | Melvin R. Laird Elliot L. Richardson |
Richard Nixon |
| Col. George L.J. Dalferes (Acting) | March 17, 1973 - April 17, 1973 | Elliot L. Richardson | Richard Nixon |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| John O. Marsh | April 17, 1973 - February 15, 1974 | Elliot L. Richardson James R. Schlesinger |
Richard Nixon |
| John M. Maury | April 12, 1974 - February 28, 1976 | James R. Schlesinger Donald H. Rumsfeld |
Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| William K. Brehm | March 19, 1976 - January 20, 1977 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | Gerald Ford |
| Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Jack L. Stempler | March 23, 1977 - January 19, 1981 | Harold Brown | Jimmy Carter |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Russell A. Rourke | May 6, 1981 - December 8, 1985 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| M. D. B. Carlisle | August 4, 1986 - April 28, 1989 | Caspar W. Weinberger Frank C. Carlucci III William H. Taft IV (Acting) |
Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| David J. Gribbin III | May 22, 1989 - January 18, 1993 | Richard B. Cheney | George H. W. Bush |
| Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Sandra K. Stuart | August 1, 1993 - September 15, 1994 | Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry |
William Clinton |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Sandra K. Stuart | September 15, 1994 - February 27, 1999 | William J. Perry William S. Cohen |
William Clinton |
| John K. Veroneau | March 2, 1999 - November 10, 1999 (Acting) November 10, 1999 - February 16, 2001 |
William S. Cohen | William Clinton George W. Bush |
| Powell A. Moore | May 4, 2001 - December 2004 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | George W. Bush |
| Daniel B. Stanley [3] | December 2004 - June 30, 2005 (Acting) June 30, 2005 - January 2006 |
Donald H. Rumsfeld | George W. Bush |
| Robert L. Wilkie [4] | January 31, 2006 - September 29, 2006 (Acting) September 29, 2006 - January 2009 |
Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates |
George W. Bush |
| Elizabeth L. King | May 7, 2009 - | Robert M. Gates | Barack Obama |
Budget
Budget Totals
The annual budget for the ASD(LA) is contained in the OSD's budget, under the Defense-Wide Operation and Maintenance (O&M) account. The Obama administration is expecting to cut funding for this position by over 37% in FY12.
| Line Item | FY11 Estimate | FY12 Request |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Secretary of Defense, Legislative Affairs | 789 | 495 |
Notes
- ↑ This type of apparently minor, yet bureaucratically significant, distinction is sometimes satirized in popular culture. For example, on NBC's The Office, Dwight Schrute is a self-described "Assistant Regional Manager," but is always corrected by his boss to be an "Assistant to the Regional Manager.
References
- ↑ Assistant Secretary of Defense Legislative Affairs, Home, "http://la.defense.gov/", February 1, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0805/082605dm.htm
- ↑ Loyola University New Orleans Office of Public Affairs, "Robert L. Wilkie Named Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs" Press Release http://www.loyno.edu/news/story/2006/10/18/1112
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
