Undersecretary of the Air Force Lisa Disbrow will be “performing the duties of” the Secretary of the Air Force until a new Secretary is nominated and confirmed, but she will not carry the title “Acting Secretary,” Pentagon officials said Thursday. They could not explain the distinction between the two terms. Moreover former USAF Secretary Deborah Lee James will be “facilitating the transition” to a new Secretary, but it was unclear whether that means she will continue on at the Pentagon past Jan. 20. Neither Air Force public affairs nor Office of Secretary of Defense public affairs could provide an official comment.
The Air Force budget would grow to $234 billion while Space Force spending would shrink to $26 billion under the White House's yearly ask.