Space News by Jeff Foust 7/12/2018
NASA's new boss wanted a deputy with technical chops. Trump is sending him a Senate staffer instead. The White House nominated a veteran Senate aide with little space experience to be NASA’s deputy administrator July 12, a month after the agency’s administrator said he wanted someone with technical expertise for the job.
In a statement, the White House announced its intent to nominate James Morhard to be deputy administrator. The position, like that of administrator, requires confirmation by the Senate.
Morhard has been the deputy sergeant-at-arms for the Senate, handling various administrative issues for the body, since early 2015. He served in various other staff roles in the Senate from the early 1980s until 2005, including chief of staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee and staff director of what is now its commerce, justice and science subcommittee, whose jurisdiction includes NASA.
Prior to working in the Senate, Morhard was an analyst in the Secretary of the Navy’s Office of the Comptroller. He also worked as a lobbyist after leaving the Senate in the mid-2000s until his return in 2015. His education includes an M.B.A. from George Washington University and a law degree from Georgetown University.
Other than his appropriations experience, there’s little in his background to suggest familiarity with NASA and its activities. His nomination appears to run counter to the wishes of Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who a month ago said he wanted someone with strong technical experience as his deputy.
More:
https://spacenews.com/white-house-nominates-morhard-to-be-nasa-deputy-administrator/
