Controversial nominee Tata appointed to top defense job, bypassing Congress – By Aaron Mehta (Defense News) / Aug 2 2020
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department announced Sunday that controversial nominee Anthony Tata has been appointed to fill the Pentagon’s No. 2 policy job, in a move that some members of Congress will see as circumventing the Senate’s confirmation process.
The move came just days after the Senate Armed Services Committee scrapped a confirmation hearing for Tata, a retired Army brigadier general and Fox News guest who has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, after there was not enough support among Republican senators to push his nomination through.
Tata was originally nominated as undersecretary of defense for policy, the top foreign relations and policy job in the building. Now, he will be performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary for policy.
“Mr. Tata withdrew from consideration before the Senate Armed Services Committee his nomination to be the undersecretary of defense for policy,” according to a department spokesman. “He has been designated as the official performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, reporting to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson. He looks forward to continuing to help implement the president’s national security agenda.”
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