First, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) put a hold on Navy Secretary Gordon England’s nomination to become Deputy Secretary of Defense. She was concerned about BRAC and the status of Navy shipbuilding. Now, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) tells Defense Daily that he believes England is the wrong man for the job due to his poor management of naval shipbuilding programs. (Mississippi is home to several of the Navy’s largest shipbuilders.) “I am so disappointed in Gordon England,” Lott proclaimed. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner now thinks the White House should make England a recess appointment, but so far the Administration has resisted that option.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

