White House Withdraws DOE Nomination for Beth Robinson
Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate
“WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:
Elizabeth M. Robinson, of Washington, to be Under Secretary of Energy, vice Kristina M. Johnson, resigned, which was sent to the Senate on January 6, 2014.”
This might be the result of an absolutely shameless hatchet job by Phillip Swarts of the Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes….
In it he accuses Ms. Robinson of the overrun in the Webb Space Telescope, paying to much for light refreshments at conferences, and failing to appoint a single “IT Tsar” with dictatorial powers over all NASA, and instead “delegating”. Somehow the unbelievable cost of Miss Piggy and the Senate Launch System escaped him.
There’s a lot wrong with NASA finances, but NASA is subject to such a level of micromanagement from above and organizational myopia from within (anyone who “underruns”, i.e. saves money, is penalized) that it’s hard to see what anybody can do.
So now the CFO is responsible for all programs’ cost overruns? What a slimeball. It’s a good thing I didn’t see this article last year… someone might have been dis-unificated.
Presuming she also decides to leave NASA, this is a major loss for the government. She was one of the best Obama Administration appointees made. If the NASA Administrator would have ever listened to her, the NASA program would be in much better shape. The new CFO candidate is simply not up to the job.
This is shameful. Beth Robinson is one of the best CFO’s I ever worked with at NASA. Her knowledge of agency programs was amazing which enabled her to ask the tough questions and keep managers accountable. Beth would have been an excellent Undersecretary at DOE and the stalling on a vote for confirmation is yet another example of political gaming that exists in Congress. DOE’s loss remains a plus for NASA where she will continue to serve with great distinction.
Apparently Senator Vitter vetoed her nomination because she required SLS contractors to adhere to federal law regarding contract termination liability, reducing federal spending in his state.
http://www.spacepolitics.co…