The Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Trump’s choice for a deputy Pentagon post focused on defense policy about seven months after the nomination was announced.
He was confirmed in a 79-17 vote.
David Trachtenberg, who has experience in the Defense Department and on Capitol Hill, was approved as the new principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.
Trachtenberg marks the 18th confirmed position in the Defense Department. The post is being filled as about 70 percent of other Senate-confirmable posts at the Pentagon remain vacant more than eight months into the Trump administration. Nominees for 39 appointed positions have either yet to be named or await action in the Senate and its Armed Services Committee.
Last week, Trump announced he had chosen Lockheed Martin senior vice president John Rood to serve as Trachtenberg’s boss, the undersecretary of defense for policy. That nomination has been referred to the Armed Services Committee.
The president has been slow to announce key defense positions. But candidates such as Army secretary nominee Mark Esper, a top Raytheon lobbyist, have also been held up by Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services chairman, who has said he wants more transparency on plans for Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria from the Trump administration.
Nineteen nominations are currently parked before the committee.
Trump chose Trachtenberg in March at the same time he announced Pat Shanahan had been nominated to be deputy under Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
Shanahan was overwhelmingly confirmed by a 92-7 vote in July.
The Armed Services Committee reported Trachtenberg’s nomination to the full Senate in July where it remained awaiting a floor vote for months amid spats over the slow pace of confirming Trump’s defense picks.
