The Senate has voted last week 63-27 to confirm the nomination of Laura Taylor-Kale as assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy.
The confirmation comes nearly a year after President Biden nominated Taylor-Kale in May 2022. Taylor-Kale will take over for Deborah Rosenblum, who has been performing the duties of the position.
“I am deeply honored, humbled, and excited that President Biden intends to nominate me to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy,” Taylor-Kale said in a LinkedIn post following news of the nomination. “I look forward to working with the Senate on next steps in the confirmation process.”
Most recently, Taylor-Kale served on the Council on Foreign Relations as a fellow for innovation and economic competitiveness. She has also previously served at the United States Embassies in New Delhi, India, Cote d’Ivoire, and Afghanistan.
She has also held roles at the World Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Department of Commerce, and the State Department. Taken together, her career has given her broad experience not only with trade and the Federal government but also with manufacturing and technology matters.
Taylor-Kale’s new office is aligned under the Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD A&S). A February 2022 reorganization put the Department of Defense (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program under the Office of the CIO, rather than under OUSD A&S. According to a DoD spokesperson, Taylor-Kale’s office will largely be responsible for supporting small businesses and the CMMC program.
“CMMC will be implemented through contracts and acquisitions, so a close partnership with OUSD A&S will be critical to the program’s success,” a DoD spokesperson told MeriTalk in May 2022. “The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy is our partner in ensuring the cybersecurity of the DIB. The office is responsible for overseeing the Office of Small Business Programs that assists small businesses in implementing the NIST SP 800-171 requirements.”
