WASHINGTON — A top Democratic lawmaker is putting the breaks on the confirmation of the Trump administration’s pick to lead US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.
In comments submitted to the Congressional record, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, outlined his objection to confirming Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, currently the deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command.
Rudd’s “responses to questions posed to him at his confirmation hearing, as well as to written questions, reveal a lack of familiarity with basic constitutional rights that is incompatible with the position for which he has been nominated,” Wyden wrote. “[D]espite his service, does not have the background that would allow him to immediately step into this role. He is not qualified for this job. And, when it comes to the cybersecurity of this country, there is simply no time for on-the-job learning. The threat is just too urgent for that.”
Wyden’s office confirmed to Breaking Defense that the Senator will not just vote against Rudd, but plans to put a hold on the nomination. As a result, Rudd will not be able to advance by unanimous consent, which could drag the process of Rudd’s confirmation out.
The Record was the first to report the news of the letter and hold.
Rudd, a career special operations officer, has no signals intelligence or cybersecurity background. He faced questions from senators during his confirmation process regarding his lack of experience in these areas, responding by leaning on his prior leadership roles and exposure to intelligence and cyber capabilities as a special operations commander.
Sources that spoke to Breaking Defense recently were mixed on Rudd’s future, with many expressing caution based on his inexperience in the domain, but others optimistically pointing to his previous leadership experience. The command and agency has been without a permanent leader since April after the Trump Administration fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, without a publicly stated reason.
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Rudd faced the Senate Armed Services Committee in January and the Intelligence Committee in early February for his confirmation hearings, and has been waiting since to be confirmed by the full Senate.
An outspoken champion for civil liberties and a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Wyden’s objections stemmed largely from Rudd’s responses and dialogue regarding his role as the director of NSA, though he acknowledged Rudd’s other position as commander of CYBERCOM.
“The cyber threat to the United States cannot be overstated,” he wrote. “The Commander of CYBERCOM needs to have a sophisticated understanding of this threat and how it has evolved over time. He or she needs to be able to see this threat in its geopolitical context and to fully grasp both the technical capabilities and the policy options that might help counter the threat.”