Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
United States Department of Defense · Public domain · source
Post	Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
Body	United States Department of Defense
Style	The Honorable
Reports to	Secretary of Defense
Seat	Arlington County, Virginia
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	1949

Contents

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs serves as the principal liaison between the United States Department of Defense and the United States Congress, coordinating legislative strategy, testimony, and oversight responses. The office interfaces with committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, the United States House Committee on Armed Services, the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations, and the United States House Committee on Appropriations. It also engages with panels like the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on classified matters requiring legislative oversight.

Role and Responsibilities

The Assistant Secretary formulates legislative priorities for the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense, prepares senior officials for hearings before committees including the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, and shepherds defense-related bills such as the National Defense Authorization Act through congressional processes. The office manages responses to congressional inquiries, coordinates witness preparation for hearings like hearings on Base Realignment and Closure and testimony before the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, and collaborates with the Office of Management and Budget on budgetary submissions to the Congressional Budget Office. It also advises on statutory compliance with laws including the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 and the Foreign Assistance Act where defense programs intersect with foreign policy.

The office evolved from earlier liaison functions within the Department of Defense after the National Security Act of 1947 and gained distinct organizational form following the Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1949. During periods such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War, congressional relations required expansion and specialization, particularly during reform movements sparked by the Hoover Commission and investigations like the Church Committee. Legislative milestones including the War Powers Resolution and amendments to the Arms Export Control Act shaped the office’s workload, while post-9/11 statutes like the Authorization for Use of Military Force increased its role in coordinating testimony on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The position has adapted through administrations from Harry S. Truman to recent presidents, reflecting changing civil-military relations and congressional oversight norms established by actors such as the United States Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.

The office typically includes deputy assistants aligned to policy portfolios such as readiness, acquisition, personnel, and intelligence, coordinating with offices like the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. Staff liaise with service secretariats—Department of the Army (civilian leadership), Department of the Navy (civilian leadership), Department of the Air Force (civilian leadership)—and agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Missile Defense Agency. The office’s legislative affairs teams prepare material for hearings at venues such as the Dirksen Senate Office Building and the Rayburn House Office Building, and coordinate with the Government Accountability Office and the Inspector General of the Department of Defense on congressionally mandated reviews.

The Assistant Secretary is nominated by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the United States Senate pursuant to statutes governing presidential appointments. Nominees undergo vetting by the Senate Armed Services Committee and may face questions concerning policy positions on matters like force posture in Europe, force modernization with systems such as the F-35 Lightning II, arms sales under the Foreign Military Sales program, and budget priorities reflected in the Defense Appropriations Bill. Confirmation hearings examine compliance with laws including the Ethics in Government Act and typical background checks by the Office of Personnel Management and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Notable individuals who have held the position or its predecessors include senior officials who later served in roles across administrations and institutions such as Congressional staff, the White House, and defense industry boards. Past occupants have engaged with leaders like John McCain, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bob Gates, Leon Panetta, and James Mattis during major congressional debates over defense posture, procurement controversies involving contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and hearings on operations in Syria and Libya. Several former Assistant Secretaries transitioned to think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Brookings Institution or joined universities like Georgetown University and Harvard Kennedy School.

The office is central to passage and implementation of the National Defense Authorization Act annually, negotiation of supplemental appropriations like those for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and oversight of major acquisition programs such as the Virginia-class submarine program, the Columbia-class submarine program, and the KC-46 Pegasus. It supports congressional action on personnel policies including updates to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and benefits programs administered in concert with the Department of Veterans Affairs. During debates over sanctions and foreign military support, the office coordinated with committees deliberating statutory tools such as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

The Assistant Secretary cultivates working relationships across Capitol Hill with leadership offices including the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and ranking members of key committees, while coordinating interagency efforts with the Department of State, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Security Council. The office ensures timely compliance with congressional reporting requirements under statutes like the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and facilitates classified briefings under procedures used by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, balancing statutory disclosure obligations with national security protections overseen by entities like the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.