2017-02-01

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To help construct and implement President Donald Trump’s plan for America, he’ll need a lot of help from his cabinet. But is this collection of well-off business vets (and the occasional public official) ready for the awesome responsibility that lies ahead? Over these next few weeks, we’ll watch as Senators push cabinet designates on their track records and we’ll keep tabs on which tough questions are being asked and what the prospects are for confirmation with this frequently updated scorecard.

Secretary of Defense: Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis

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Recap: Advances in the military’s attitudes toward gay, lesbian, and transgendered personnel and the role of women in combat were supported, cyber warfare was regarded as a serious threat, and Russia was deemed a “strategic competitor,” indicating a suspicious view of the meddling military superpower from the retired four-star general.

Status: Mattis was confirmed near unanimously on January 20.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Gen. John Kelly

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Recap: Another retired four-star general, Kelly said he believed “a physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job” in relation to the U.S.-Mexico border wall and spoke out against the idea of a Muslim registry and the mass collection of data from U.S. citizens.

Status: Kelly was confirmed on January 20.

CIA Director: Mike Pompeo

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Recap: The big headline from Pompeo’s hearing came when the now incoming chief of the CIA confirmed the intelligence community’s findings on Russia’s role in the hacks that were aimed at impacting the 2016 election. Still, Pompeo didn’t exactly sail through his confirmation, encountering vocal opposition due to his stance on torture (though, he refined his position and seemed more dismissive of waterboarding in his hearing).

Status: Despite objections, Pompeo was confirmed on January 23 with minor Democratic support and one dissenting vote from the right by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky).

Secretary of State: Rex Tillerson

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Recap: Former Exxon Mobil executive Rex Tillerson’s exchange with Sen. Marco Rubio made headlines as Tillerson’s ties to Russia were aggressively probed, and he was asked whether or not he would describe Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. He said, he “would not use that term” but also spoke favorably about Russian sanctions and, at least partially, stood apart from President Trump on select matters pertaining to Syria, nuclear proliferation, and global warming. Concerns about his past with Exxon Mobil lingered, though.

Status: Tillerson passed his final hurdle on Tuesday thanks to a vote on advancing his nomination. The next vote is scheduled for Wednesday morning and he is expected to get confirmed.

Attorney General: Sen. Jeff Sessions

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Recap: Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions’ two-day hearing featured countless protests, notable instances of Sessions’ disagreeing with President Trump (most notably on torture), and testimony referring to the Attorney General nominee’s alleged racism. Even Sen. Corey Booker (D-New Jersey) broke precedent to testify against his colleague.

Status: Furious over President Trump’s controversial executive order on immigration and his firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates after she sought to defy the order, Senate Democrats pushed back in the only way they really can absent a filibuster and delayed the vote on Sessions until Wednesday morning. Sessions is facing serious animosity from Senate Democrats and activists, but will it be enough to sway any Republican Senators?

Secretary of the Treasury: Steven Mnuchin

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Recap: Democrats took Mnuchin to task for his time heading OneWest, which was dubbed a “foreclosure machine,” but the former Trump campaign finance chair defended his record and pushed back against what he called “unwise and burdensome” financial regulations that made it harder for OneWest to modify mortgages. Mnuchin also had to answer for a freshly revealed (by him) job in the Cayman Islands and his failure to initially disclose $95 million in real estate holdings while trying to talk up the Trump administration’s proposed corporate tax cuts and targeted tariffs.

Status: The Finance committee’s vote on whether or not to confirm Mnuchin was delayed by Democrats.

Secretary of Energy: Former Gov. Rick Perry

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Recap: Rick Perry’s nomination drew plenty of criticism, but the former Texas governor gained favor with those on the left by saying he regretted calling for the Department of Energy’s closure and acknowledging the reality of man-made climate change. His insistence on using department research and technologies to turn a profit for the federal government raised some concerns, though.

Status: Perry was approved in committee and will soon be voted on by the full Senate.

Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos

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Recap: DeVos, a businesswoman turned education activist, cited grizzly bears as a reason why some schools might allow guns on the premises and rankled Sen. Elizabeth Warren (who delighted in highlighting her inexperience with the student loan system) to such an extent that Warren apparently refused to shake hands after the hearing.

DeVos also tussled with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) on proficiency vs. growth and was questioned on her views regarding federal and state education laws and her advocacy for charter schools over public education.

Status: Allegations about plagiarism during her confirmation hearing have further muddied the waters for DeVos, who has failed to get a confirmation of support from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and who may face a tough road to confirmation when her nomination is finally brought to the full Senate floor. That’s the next step, though, as she did advance through committee.

Secretary of Commerce: Wilbur Ross

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Recap: Both sides had concerns with Ross’ appointment due to his support for Trump’s tariff policy proposals, but Ross insisted he didn’t want to start a trade war with China and instead emphasized the “imbalance” between their trade policies and those here in the U.S. during his hearing.

Status: We’re still waiting on a vote to see if Ross is confirmed.

Secretary of the Interior: Rep. Ryan Zinke

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Recap: Zinke was questioned on climate change and sexual harassment in the National Park Service and tried to reassure Democratic legislators by saying “man has had an influence” with respect to climate change and that he takes “issues of sexual assault and harassment absolutely seriously.” Zinke also pushed for Trump’s proposed infrastructure spending in which he plans on including an “estimated $12.5 billion in backlog of maintenance and repair” at national parks.

Status: Zinke was approved in committee and will soon face a floor vote.

Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao

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Recap: In contrast to others on this list, Chao enjoyed a relatively painless process, fielding praise from Senators on both sides of the aisle. On policy, Chao made it clear that Trump’s promised $1 trillion dollar infrastructure proposal will require a team effort with bipartisan cooperation and a mixture of federal spending and public-private monies.

Status: Chao was confirmed on the Senate floor by a steep majority.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Rep. Tom Price

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Recap: Unlike Chao’s warm reception, Georgia Rep. Tom Price faced a combative meeting with members of the Finance Committee during his first hearing, and it hasn’t been much kinder during his second session. The key objections stem from the longtime Affordable Care Act critic‘s congressional record on matters pertaining to the repeal of Obamacare and allegations of insider trading in the healthcare space.

Status: Senate Democrats boycotted a Finance Committee hearing causing a delay in the vote to move Price’s nomination to the floor.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Ben Carson

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Recap: Former Republican presidential candidate and noted neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s lack of experience on matters pertaining to HUD stoked criticism from Democrats, but his hearing did little to slow his charge toward confirmation and mostly focused on his philosophies on government and assisting the poor.

Status: Carson’s nomination passed through committee and is now headed for the Senate floor.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Scott Pruitt

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Recap: The Oklahoma Attorney General’s record as a fierce advocate for the fossil fuels industry and an even fiercer critic of the EPA has caught flack from those on the left. In his session, Pruitt acknowledged man-made climate change but also stood firm in his beliefs about regulatory overreach.

Democratic committee members questioned Pruitt’s record and his ties to energy lobbyists, prompting a back and forth on whether he would recuse himself from all matters where he had previously been a plaintiff in his many lawsuits against the EPA during the Obama administration.

Status: Pruitt has yet to pass a committee vote.

United Nations Ambassador: Gov. Nikki Haley

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Recap: Haley has sharply criticized the U.N., but Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) said he was more concerned with Haley’s “lack of foreign policy experience.” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) also took issue with Haley’s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and asked her to “read the agreement.” Despite this pushback, though, Haley sought to broaden the view of what people see as diplomatic experience by touting the parts of her job as governor and how they relate to diplomacy. Haley also rejected the notion of a Muslim registry and attempted to clarify the administration’s stance on it as well.

Status: Haley sailed to an easy confirmation.

Office of Management and Budget Director: Rep. Mick Mulvaney

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Recap: A budget hawk and vocal critic of medicare who will aid the President in his efforts to rein in the federal budget, Rep. Mick Mulvaney was pushed on his views regarding means testing and a rise in the social security retirement age, specifically with regard to President Trump’s vow to leave Social Security and Medicare alone.

Status: Mulvaney has yet to pass a committee vote.

Small Business Association Administrator: Linda McMahon

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Recap: The former senatorial candidate and WWE CEO’s hearing garnered interest thanks to the sight of her son-in-law, Tripple H, in the audience and the fact that two former political rivals — Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) — sat by her side and supported her. During the hearing, McMahon offered her thoughts on the effect of regulations on small businesses, but Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) did offer some pushback when she mentioned the WWE’s controversial classification of its performers as independent contractors.

Status: McMahon passed a committee vote and is now headed for the Senate floor.

Secretary of Agriculture: Former Gov. Sonny Perdue

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Trump formally announced the nomination of former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for Secretary of Agriculture on the day before the inauguration. Perdue has yet to face a confirmation hearing.

Secretary of Labor: Andrew Puzder

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The CKE Restaurants CEO is a fierce critic of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and once suggested replacing human laborers with automated systems.

Puzder’s hearing has been pushed back four times. According to the Washington Post, there are questions about his investments.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: David Shulkin

Via Congressman Lee Zeldin on YouTube

If confirmed by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs committee, current VA undersecretary for health David Shulkin would become the first major Obama appointee to be kept on by Trump.

U.S. Trade Representative: Robert Lighthizer

Via Trump Transition Team

Lighthizer formerly served as Reagan’s deputy U.S. trade representative. The trade representative’s main charge is negotiating international trade deals and disputes, so Lighthizer will play a key role in President Trump’s efforts to redefine U.S. trade policies and rework trade deals.

Director of National Intelligence: Former Sen. Dan Coats

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With President Trump’s past clashes with the intelligence community, all eyes will be on the confirmation hearing for the man whose job it will be to coordinate communication between 16 major intelligence agencies. Especially since, according to CNN, the Trump administration may look to shrink the power of the DNI.

Be sure to check this page for updates on the confirmation process and the construction of Donald Trump’s cabinet.

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