In a sudden move Thursday afternoon, Senator Judd Gregg, CC ’69 (R-N.H.) withdrew his nomination for Commerce Secretary, citing “irresolvable conflicts” between him and the Obama administration.
Now, one week after U.S. President Barack Obama, CC ’83, appointed Gregg to become the third Republican member of his cabinet, the president is faced with a second vacancy in the position of Commerce Secretary in one month.
Gregg will be Obama’s third cabinet nominee to withdraw, following Tom Daschle’s (D-S.D.) decision to step down from his designation of Health and Human Services Secretary last week, and Governor Bill Richardson’s (D-N.M.) withdrawal from his nomination as Commerce Secretary.
In the nation’s current state of financial crisis, Gregg’s appointment was a strategic one. His extensive economic experience as a member of the Senate Budget Committee and reputation as a fiscal conservative made Gregg an ideal candidate for the position as well as an asset for bi-partisanship.
Despite having initially offered his name for the job and asserting his intentions to move forward with the president’s agenda, Gregg revealed more recently that he disagrees with several of Obama’s positions on key economic priorities.
President Obama said Gregg’s withdrawal was unexpected, calling the move “somewhat of a surprise.”
“Obviously the President requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives,” Gregg said in a statement. “I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position.”
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