Since it is a confirmed position, and since it is Mike Griffin, I am guessing he will have.a lot of influence - or he will quit. Griffin is not a shrinking violet snowflake swamp-dweller. He knows us, but he is not one of us.
Guessing? The position has some description about decisions and relevance - just what does the position entail? Is it a position, which from the description, sounds more like a minor voice in the process. Perhaps he just wants to get a pay raise and all the rest is speculation and wishful thinking.
Deputy undersecretary is pretty far down the food chain to have any real power. Why wasn’t he appointed further up the chain like Secretary or Deputy to the Secretary?