Radha Iyengar Plumb
Official portrait, 2023
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Assumed office
April 21, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byAlan Shaffer
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJohn F. Plumb
EducationMassachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
Princeton University (MS), (PhD)

Radha Iyengar Plumb is an American government official currently serving as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. She was confirmed for the position by the U.S. Senate on April 18, 2023 and assumed office later that month.[1][2][3][4]

She was formerly the chief of staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.[5]

Education

Plumb has a Ph.D. and MS in Economics from Princeton University and a BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[3]

Career

Before working as the Chief of Staff, she was the Director of Research and Insights for Trust and Safety at Google. She has also worked as the Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook. She has been a senior economist at RAND Corporation and has also held senior staff positions at the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and the White House National Security Council. She co-hosted the Bombshell podcast for several years along with Erin Simpson and Loren DeJonge Schulman.

Biden administration nomination

On June 15, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Plumb to be deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.[3] Hearings were held before the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 28, 2022. During that hearing, Senator Dan Sullivan placed a hold on Plumb's nomination over a dispute with the Biden administration over a mining project in his home state of Alaska.[6] The committee favorably reported Plumb's nomination to the Senate floor on September 28, 2022. Plumb's nomination expired at the end of the year and was returned to President Biden on January 3, 2023.[7]

Plumb was renominated the same day. The committee favorably reported Plumb's nomination to the Senate floor on February 9, 2023.[8]

But later in February, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, placed a hold on all Defense Department nominations and general officer promotions because he disagrees with new department policies that help troops travel for reproductive care if they serve in states that heavily restrict abortion.[9]

On April 17, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 61–26 vote.[10] On April 18, 2023, her nomination was confirmed by a 68–30 vote.[11]

Personal life

Plumb is married to John F. Plumb, who as of 2023 serves in another post within the United States Department of Defense.

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Jane (2023-04-19). "Radha Iyengar Plumb Confirmed as DOD Deputy Undersecretary for Acquisition, Sustainment". Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  2. ↑ "Joe Biden Nominates Indian-American Security Expert To Top Pentagon Post". NDTV.com. NDTV. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "Key Officials" (PDF). U.S. Department of Defense. 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  5. ↑ "Dr. Radha Iyengar Plumb". defense.gov. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ Harris, Bryant (8 August 2022). "Dozen Pentagon nominees stalled as Senate leaves for August recess". Defense News. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "PN2256 — Radha Iyengar Plumb — Department of Defense 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "PN5 — Radha Iyengar Plumb — Department of Defense 118th Congress (2023-2024)". US Congress. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  9. ↑ Bublé, Courtney (March 29, 2023). "SecDef to Senator: Your Abortion-Related Holds Are Hurting Readiness". Defense One. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  10. ↑ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Radha Iyengar Plumb to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense)". US Senate. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Radha Iyengar Plumb, of New York, to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense)". US Senate. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
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