Bush Bypasses Senate to Install Pentagon Official

Peter Flory to be an assistant secretary of defense 

AP 2aug2005

Bush Stands by His Controversial Man: John Bolton / The Economist (UK) 1aug2005
Bush Bypasses Senate to Install Pentagon Official: Peter Flory to be an assistant secretary of defense - AP 2aug2005
Bush Bypasses Senate: Installs Eric S. Edelman as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy - AP 9aug2005

WASHINGTON — President Bush again invoked a constitutional provision enabling him to bypass the Senate and install directly a nominee who had been blocked in the Senate. This time, he named Peter Flory to be an assistant secretary of defense.

The move on Tuesday came a day after Bush used the same powers to install John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The Constitution gives the president the authority to put an official on the job without waiting for Senate confirmation when Congress is in recess. The official then can serve until the end of the current Congress, which in this case is January 2007.

Flory was first nominated to the post on June 1, 2004, but the nomination was blocked by Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a dispute over release of intelligence-related documents that Levin sought from Douglas Feith, the undersecretary of defense for policy.

Flory has been the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. His new assignment is as the assistant secretary of defense for international security policy.

He would replace J.D. Crouch, who left more than a year ago to take another position.

Flory was re-nominated by Bush in January 2005, at the start of the new Congress, but Levin continued to block it. The Senate Armed Services Committee reported the nomination to the full Senate last Thursday. A Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said Levin blocked consideration of the nomination by the full Senate.

"The Senate has had ample time to consider his nomination and hold an up or down vote," Whitman said. "This is an individual that is well qualified for this position, it's an important policy position. We're a nation at war. We're fully engaged in that effort."

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201338.html 10aug2005

Peter Cyril Wyche Flory

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

Peter Flory practiced law at Hughes Hubbard's Washington, D.C. office from 1993 to 1997, leaving to become Chief Investigative Counsel and Special Counsel to the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Prior to joining Hughes Hubbard, he served as Special Assistant to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Paul D. Wolfowitz, from 1989 to 1992, and as an Associate Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of State from 1992 to 1993. In July 2001, Peter left the Senate to become Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.

source: http://www.hugheshubbard.com/careers/alumni.asp 10aug2005

Worked on the Senate Intelligence Committee with Alfred Cumming, Melvin Dubee, Lorenzo Goco, Joan Grimson, Andy Johnson, Taylor Lawrence, Ken Myers, Suzanne Spaulding, Christopher Straub, Christopher Williams, Peter Dorn, Bill Duhnke, Emil Francona, Art Grant, Patricia Hanback, Ken Johnson, Don Mitchell, Randy Schieber, Don Stone, Linda Taylor, and James Wolfe.

source: http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/s858.html 10aug2005

Press Release - White House 27may2005

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate two individuals, appoint 14 individuals and designate one individual to serve in his administration:

The President intends to nominate Peter Cyril Wyche Flory, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Policy). Mr. Flory currently serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense ( International Security Affairs). Prior to that position, he served as Chief Investigative Counsel and subsequently Special Counsel for the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Earlier in his career, Mr. Flory worked at the Department of State as an Associate Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defense. He earned his bachelor's degree from McGill University and his J.D. from Georgetown University.

The President intends to nominate William Sanchez, of Florida, to be Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices at the Department of Justice for a term of four-years. Mr. Sanchez currently serves as Senior Partner in the law firm of William J. Sanchez, P. A., specializing in immigration and international law. Prior to establishing his own firm, he was an international law professor at Ateneo University in Manila, Philippines. Earlier in his career, he worked as a staff attorney at the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, Florida. Mr. Sanchez earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Miami and his J.D. from Georgetown University.

The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

Betty Wu, of New York, and upon appointment designate Chairman William P. Afeaki of Utah Nina Nguyen Collier of Washington Akshay Desai of Florida Vellie Sandalo Dietrich-Hall of Virginia William Kil of California John C. Kim of California Jimmy Lee of Illinois Joseph Melookaran of Kansas Derrick Nguyen of California Rudy Pamintuan of Illinois Martha Cruz Ruth of Guam Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi of California Kenneth Wong of Pennsylvania

source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040527-4.html 10aug2005