The US Senate moves ahead with confirming the Biden admin cabinet heads….
There will need to be ok’s for over a thousand of Biden’s picks in the future….
The Trump admin ran on empty and temporary staff….
Almost a week after being sworn in, President Biden is seeing his Cabinet start to come together.
The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken, one of Biden’s longtime advisers, as secretary of State in a 78-22 vote Tuesday, making him the president’s fourth nominee to be approved by the upper chamber.
The Senate has also confirmed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Director of National Intelligence Avril over the last six days in broad bipartisan votes.
But Biden is still missing permanent officials to helm the key departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as the CIA – let alone deputy positions across government that also need Senate-confirmed officials….
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The vacancies in Biden’s administration come at a time when the federal government is contending with multiple crises. Biden has installed acting officials across government in order to keep agencies running as the president waits for his personnel to be confirmed to permanent positions.
Tenpas said that there are some 4,000 political appointments across government, between 1,200 and 1,300 of which require Senate confirmation, meaning that Biden has been able to put many officials in place despite a lack of confirmed agency heads at this stage.
“There are Biden people in each of these departments now,” Tenpas said, but she noted that agencies are limited in what they can execute without a confirmed leader. “If there’s not a leader at the top, it’s harder to plan for the future.”
Additional votes are expected in the coming days….
image of Defense, Treasury, National Intel and State heads …The Hill/Getty
Two more Biden cabinet guys confirmed…..
Buttigieg for Transportation Sec….(86-13)
Mayorkas for Homeland Sec….(56-43)
Buttigieg makes the history books as the first openly gay US Senate confirmed Cabinet Sec….The nay votes where ALL Republicans
Graham seems to be dragging the Garland DOJ confirmation out for as long as he can…
Yes Graham….
GOPer’s still head the Senate committee’s….
Biden BA Sec confirmed
He was one of Obama’s chief of staff
CNN Breaking News
The Senate confirmed Denis McDonough as secretary of Veterans Affairs, the day before it turns much of its focus to the impeachment trial
87-7 was the vote in the Senate…
Granholm confirmed for Energy…
Cardona confirmed for Education Sec
Several Biden cabinet picks having hearings today
Garland AG vote shortly…
R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo due for confirmation at 2:15 for Commerce Secretary.
Shortly thereafter, Lt. Gov. Dan McKee (D, former Mayor of Cumberland, RI) is expected to become Governor.
The Senate confirmed Cecilia Rouse on Tuesday to become chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, making her the first Black person to serve in that role in the body’s 74-year history….
More…
The Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of confirming Gina Raimondo as secretary of Commerce, tasking the former Rhode Island governor with a key role in reviewing the Trump administration’s trade policies….
More…
Possible Tanden replacement to lead OMB…..
Republican senators turned Shalanda Young’s confirmation process on Tuesday into a dress rehearsal for replacing Neera Tanden as President Joe Biden’s pick to run the White House budget office.
During Young’s first confirmation hearing to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, GOP lawmakers boosted her as an alternative to Tanden, just hours before the White House withdrew Tanden’s nomination for OMB director….
More…
(Young could benefit from the racial whispers about Tanden)
Collins Will Back Haaland for Interior Secretary
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) will vote to confirm interior secretary nominee Deb Haaland, making her the first GOP senator to publicly support President Joe Biden’s historic pick for the job, the HuffPost reports.
3/6/2021 Biden cabinet confirmation Update....
Nine are Pending….
Seven of those have been voted out of Senate Committee with Favorable results…
Two have had no committee hearings…
One person has withdrawn….
With the Stimulus Bill gone from the Senate Majority leader Schumer would like the confirmations votes to begin immediately ….
We’ll see what the Republicans do….
Link…
Hmmmm?…Campaigning for a Presidential cabinet job often does NOT work
Biden Hesitates on Shalanda Young as Budget Chief
Washington Post: “People close to the White House say some aides have been turned off by the overt campaigning on Young’s behalf, which began before the White House formally withdrew the nomination of Neera Tanden earlier this week.”