Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
12/12/2014
Robert Scher, the Obama Administration’s pick to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities, was cleared by the Senate Armed Services Committee this week. Scher was one of three civilian nominees on Dec. 9 that the Senate Armed Services Committee favorably reported out, by voice vote, to the Senate floor. Scher was one of a handful of Pentagon nominees whose would-be second SASC hearing scheduled for Dec. 9 was canceled. During the SASC hearing last week, Scher signaled support for nuclear modernization. “[W]e have spent a lot of time working to ensure we understand the needs of the defense nuclear enterprise and actually are funding it at a rate that is that we think will make sure that we can preserve the modernization of it and fix some of the problems that were found in the multiple reviews,” Scher said during the hearing, responding to a question posed by committee chair Carl Levin (D-Mich.). The nominated position was created as part of a reorganization of DoD’s Office of Policy. It remains unclear when the Senate will vote on Scher’s confirmation.
Bilateral Disarmament Negotiations
In advance policy questions, Scher stated he would support further U.S.-Russia nuclear force reductions under New START, and that the U.S. could ensure allies’ safety by pursuing reductions of one-third below New START levels. During SASC questioning on Dec. 2, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) said Scher’s viewpoint on disarmament “worries” her, in light of Russia’s violation of the INF Treaty and “invasion” of Ukraine. In response, Scher said bilateral cooperation is the “key” to any U.S. nuclear reduction beyond New START levels. “I believe that that is a critical part to looking at how we could achieve our operational ends,” Scher said. Ayotte also expressed concern about DoD moving to negotiate with Russia without seeking a go-ahead from Congress. “And I would hope that any—if there were ever a move in that direction again, that you would also seek congressional approval,” Ayotte said. “And I might add, too, you know, obviously I don’t think we could trust negotiating with the Russians right now.”
Earlier in the hearing, Scher signaled a generally parallel stance to existing Obama Administration policy on disarmament approaches with Russia. While Scher said the U.S. aims to reduce to New START levels by early 2018, he reiterated the Administration would not seek further reductions without Russian cooperation. “And right now it’s hard to imagine that we are in that situation where we can talk to the Russians about that kind of work,” he said.
Implementation Should Be Done in ‘Cost-Efficient Manner’
Asked in advance policy questions what he anticipated would be the “most serious problems” he would undertake in his nominated position, Scher stated that he was “concerned” about implementing the necessary policies and strategies in a “cost-efficient manner.” Responding to a question posed by Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and echoing notions voiced by many Defense Department officials, Scher pointed to the small proportion of the overall defense budget that nuclear weapons occupy, and highlighted the need to invest in the previously neglected nuclear enterprise. “It is an expensive undertaking; in the broad scheme of the Department of Defense budget it is not a huge percentage,” Scher said.
