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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.
| United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs | |
|---|---|
| ASD(LA) | |
Seal of the United States Department of Defense | |
| United States Department of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense | |
| Style | Mr Assistant Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
| Reports to | United States Secretary of Defense |
| Seat | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | No Fixed Term |
| Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 138 |
| Inaugural holder | Marx Leva |
| Formation | 1947 |
| Salary | Executive Schedule Level IV[1] |
| Website | Official website |
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.[3]
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.[3]
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).[3]
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).[3]
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.[3]
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 Rumsfeld | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| William K. Brehm | March 19, 1976 - January 20, 1977 | Donald 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 | Bill Clinton |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs) | |||
| Sandra K. Stuart | September 15, 1994 - February 27, 1999 | William J. Perry William S. Cohen | Bill Clinton |
| John K. Veroneau | March 2, 1999 - November 10, 1999 (Acting) November 10, 1999 - February 16, 2001 | William S. Cohen | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Powell A. Moore | May 4, 2001 - December 2004 | Donald Rumsfeld | George W. Bush |
| Daniel R. Stanley[4] | December 2004 - June 30, 2005 (Acting) June 30, 2005 - January 31, 2006 | Donald Rumsfeld | George W. Bush |
| Robert Wilkie[5] | January 31, 2006 - September 29, 2006 (Acting) September 29, 2006 - January 19, 2009 | Donald Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates | George W. Bush |
| Elizabeth L. King | May 7, 2009 - October 7, 2015 | Robert M. Gates Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ash Carter | Barack Obama |
| Stephen C. Hedger | October 8, 2015 - July 5, 2016 | Ash Carter | Barack Obama |
| Tressa S. Guenov (Acting) | July 5, 2016 - January 19, 2017 | Ash Carter | Barack Obama |
| Pete Giambastiani (Acting) | January 20, 2017 - August 8, 2017 | James Mattis | Donald Trump |
| Robert R. Hood | August 8, 2017 - July 24, 2020[6] | James Mattis Mark Esper Richard V. Spencer | Donald Trump |
| Ann Thomas "A.T." Johnston (Acting) | August 2020 - January 20, 2021[7] | Mark Esper Christopher C. Miller | Donald Trump |
| Louis I Lauter (Acting) | January 20, 2021 - December 2, 2022 | David Norquist Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden |
| Rheanne Wirkkala | December 2, 2022 - present | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden |
 | This section needs to be updated. (August 2018) |
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2018) |
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.
| Line Item | FY11 Estimate | FY12 Request |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Secretary of Defense, Legislative Affairs | 789 | 495 |
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