The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday approved by voice vote Russell Deyo to be the next undersecretary of management at the Department of Homeland Security.

Russell Deyo. Photo: Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Russell Deyo. Photo: Thurgood Marshall College Fund

The panel in November also approved Deyo for the same position but the Senate never took up the nomination, forcing the committee to vote again in the new Congress that began this year. Deyo, who was nominated by President Barack Obama in August 2014, was previously with the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson [JNJ] before retiring in 2012 after a 27-year career at the company that includes service as general counsel, vice president of Administration and vice president of Human Resources.

Before working for Johnson & Johnson, Deyo was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. If confirmed by the full Senate, Deyo will oversee the DHS Management Directorate with responsibility for budget, spending, accounting and finance, procurement, human resources, information technology systems, and facilities and equipment.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) voted against Deyo.