A civilian member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who pushed for steep cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has landed a flagship position with the U.S. Navy.
Rachel Riley, a former partner at consulting firm McKinsey & Company who joined HHS as part of DOGE in January, will replace Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus as chief of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
"[Riley] brings deep acquisition, technology, and organizational expertise to the job, and we are pleased to welcome her to the team," a Navy spokesperson told U.S. Naval Institute News on Wednesday night. "We thank Rear Adm. Rothenhaus for his service as he is en route to his next assignment. We do not have additional information to share at this time."
It's unknown when Rothenhaus was reassigned or when Riley took over. It's also unknown what Rothenhaus' next position will be. He previously served as the program executive officer for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence — known as PEO C4I — before taking over ONR in June 2023, according to USNI News.
Rothenhaus' replacement is highly unusual given that the office — created by Congress in 1946 to fund Navy and Marine Corps research — historically has been led by an active-duty flag officer. In recent years, a one-star Marine Corps general has served as vice chief of naval research, according to USNI News. Riley will manage the office's $2.5 billion budget.
HHS confirmed Riley's move to the Navy.
"We appreciate the work Rachel Riley did for HHS to improve and right-size the agency across its structure, programs, and grants," HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Rich Danker said in a statement to the Navy Times.
Politico reported that Riley was the driving force behind an attempt to lay off nearly 8,000 employees at HHS at the end of September, but agency officials rejected the plan. The National Institutes of Health, which had been asked to cut 4,545 positions, made no cuts. Other agencies reduced head counts, but not nearly as many as Riley recommended.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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