Todd Jacobson
NS&D Monitor
9/19/2014
Andrew Weber, who is stepping down as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, is likely to continue to stay in the Obama Administration, he told NS&D Monitor this week. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on nuclear testing at the U.S. Institute of Peace Sept. 15, Weber declined to offer specifics about his next job or a more specific window for his departure than the fall, but said he was “probably” going to stay in the Administration. “I’m under consideration for a few different things,” he said. “It’s premature to talk about it publicly.”
Weber, who also serves as the staff director of the Nuclear Weapons Council, has served in the Pentagon position since 2009, overseeing the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. “After five-and-a-half years, it was time I thought,” he said of his departure plans. “I looked at the things we accomplished, some of which are done, some of which are irreversible and enduring. An example of something that’s finished is the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons. I thought it was a great time to leave on a high with all those achievements. I want to do something new, a new challenge.”
Weber Pleased With State of Nuclear Modernization
Weber also said he is happy with the path forward for nuclear weapons modernization, with the W76, B61 and W88 Alt 370 refurbishments on track. He also said he supported the decision to push back the First Production Unit on a cruise missile warhead three years to 2027. “I think that was the right decision given the need to balance priorities and the budget situation,” he said.
It’s unclear who will succeed Weber at the Pentagon. Arthur Hopkins is currently serving as the acting Principal Deputy to Weber, and is likely to serve as the acting head of the office until a new official is nominated and confirmed, which isn’t likely to happen any time soon given the slow process of confirming Administration nominees in the Senate. During his tenure, Weber also played a role in helping to implement President Obama’s nuclear and arms control policies, including maintaining and modernizing the nation’s nuclear stockpile, as well as the elimination of chemical weapons in Libya and Syria.
