March 11 (UPI) — Gen. Joshua Rudd was confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command Tuesday.
Rudd is already the deputy chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The Senate voted to confirm him in a 71-29 vote.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., voiced his objections to Rudd because he doesn’t have cybersecurity experience. He had put a procedural hold to block Rudd’s confirmation but the chamber was able to get around it.
“He is not qualified for this job,” Wyden wrote in a letter addressed to President Donald Trump that was submitted to the Congressional Record. “And, when it comes to the cybersecurity of this country, there is simply no time for on-the-job learning. The threat is just too urgent for that. For these reasons, I oppose the nomination.”
The position of NSA director had been vacant since April, when retired Gen. Timothy Haugh and his civilian deputy Wendy Noble were ousted.
Lt. Gen. William Hartman has been acting head and plans to retire when Rudd is sworn in. No date has been announced yet.
“General Rudd is a war hero with a lifetime of service to our nation. He is the right choice to lead the protection of our nation from cyberattacks by Iran, Russia and China,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement.
During nomination hearings before Senate committees, Rudd defended Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a data-collection law that is set to expire in April.