Post: | United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs |
Native Name: | ASD(LA) |
Insignia: | Seal of the United States Department of Defense.svg |
Insigniasize: | 120 |
Insigniacaption: | Seal of the United States Department of Defense |
Flagsize: | 170 |
Flagborder: | yes |
Department: | United States Department of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense |
Style: | Mr Assistant Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
Incumbent: | Rheanne Wirkkala |
Incumbentsince: | December 2, 2022 |
Acting: | n |
Seat: | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia |
Appointer: | The President |
Appointer Qualified: | with Senate advice and consent |
Termlength: | No Fixed Term |
Reports To: | United States Secretary of Defense |
Formation: | 1947 |
Salary: | Executive Schedule Level IV[1] |
Inaugural: | Marx Leva |
Website: | Official website |
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.[2] The ASD(LA) is considered a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
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.
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.
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).
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).
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. [3] 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.[4]
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 | Harry Truman | ||
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legal and Legislative Affairs) | ||||
Marx Leva | September 12, 1949 - May 1, 1951 | Harry Truman | ||
Daniel K. Edwards | May 3, 1951 - November 19, 1951 | Harry Truman | ||
Charles A. Coolidge | November 20, 1951 - December 31, 1952 | Harry Truman | ||
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative and Public Affairs) | ||||
September 15, 1953 - February 20, 1955 | Dwight Eisenhower | |||
Robert Tripp Ross | March 15, 1955 - February 20, 1957 | Dwight Eisenhower | ||
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | ||||
Brig. Gen. Clarence J. Hauck, Jr. | April 1957 - April 1959 | Dwight Eisenhower | ||
George W. Vaughan | April 1959 - March 1960 | Dwight Eisenhower | ||
March 1960 - November 1960 | Dwight Eisenhower | |||
January 25, 1961 - June 30, 1962 | John F. Kennedy | |||
David E. McGiffert | August 8, 1962 - June 30, 1965 | John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson | ||
Jack L. Stempler | December 13, 1965 - January 4, 1970 | Lyndon Johnson Richard Nixon | ||
January 5, 1970 - May 1, 1971 | Richard Nixon | |||
Rady A. Johnson | May 2, 1971 - March 10, 1973 | Richard Nixon | ||
Col. George L.J. Dalferes (Acting) | March 17, 1973 - April 17, 1973 | Richard Nixon | ||
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | ||||
John O. Marsh | April 17, 1973 - February 15, 1974 | Richard Nixon | ||
John M. Maury | April 12, 1974 - February 28, 1976 | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford | ||
March 19, 1976 - January 20, 1977 | Gerald Ford | |||
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | ||||
Jack L. Stempler | March 23, 1977 - January 19, 1981 | Jimmy Carter | ||
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | ||||
Russell A. Rourke | May 6, 1981 - December 8, 1985 | 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 | George H. W. Bush | ||
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | ||||
Sandra K. Stuart | August 1, 1993 - September 15, 1994 | Bill Clinton | ||
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | ||||
Sandra K. Stuart | September 15, 1994 - February 27, 1999 | Bill Clinton | ||
John K. Veroneau | March 2, 1999 - November 10, 1999 (Acting) November 10, 1999 - February 16, 2001 | Bill Clinton George W. Bush | ||
May 4, 2001 - December 2004 | George W. Bush | |||
Daniel R. Stanley[5] | December 2004 - June 30, 2005 (Acting) June 30, 2005 - January 31, 2006 | George W. Bush | ||
Robert Wilkie[6] | January 31, 2006 - September 29, 2006 (Acting) September 29, 2006 - January 19, 2009 | George W. Bush | ||
Elizabeth L. King | May 7, 2009 - October 7, 2015 | Barack Obama | ||
Stephen C. Hedger | October 8, 2015 - July 5, 2016 | Barack Obama | ||
Tressa S. Guenov (Acting) | July 5, 2016 - January 19, 2017 | Barack Obama | ||
Pete Giambastiani (Acting) | January 20, 2017 - August 8, 2017 | Donald Trump | ||
August 8, 2017 - July 24, 2020[7] | Donald Trump | |||
Ann Thomas "A.T." Johnston (Acting) | August 2020 - January 20, 2021[8] | Donald Trump | ||
Louis I Lauter (Acting) | January 20, 2021 - December 2, 2022 | Joe Biden | ||
December 2, 2022 - present | Joe Biden |
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 cut funding for this position by over 37% in FY12.