Will Sen. Kyl Oppose Taucher Nomination?
DOD Buzz reports that Senator Jon Kyl is hinting he may oppose the confirmation of Representative Ellen Tauscher, nominated by President Barack Obama for Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
Kyl, who’s written a number of pro-missile defense op-eds, spoke yesterday at a morning meeting and quoted some of Tauscher’s statements on missile defense. According to DOD Buzz, a skeptical Tauscher wants more testing on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system (GMD). She also expressed skepticism about a missile defense shield in Poland, saying the system would have to be proven viable before deployment (as one would expect).
An aide confirmed that Kyl would place a hold on Tauscher’s nomination.
Tauscher’s skepticism about systems like the GMD match the Obama administration’s. The Missile Defense Agency may face budget cuts as high as $2 billion, which would reduce testing of the GMD.
Tags: Barack Obama, Ellen Tauscher, Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, Jon Kyl, Poland