Confirmation Process Overview For Donald Trump S Cabinet Nominees

Trump Administration President Donald Trump Vice President Mike Pence Cabinet • White House staff • Transition team

Policy positions Domestic affairs: Abortion • Crime and justice • Education • Energy and the environment • Federal courts • Firearms policy • First Amendment • Healthcare • Immigration • Infrastructure • LGBTQ issues • Marijuana • Puerto Rico • Social welfare programs • Veterans • Voting issues Economic affairs and regulations: Agriculture and food policy • Budget • Financial regulation • Jobs • Social Security • Taxes • Trade Foreign affairs and national security: Afghanistan • Arab states of the Persian Gulf • China • Cuba • Iran • Iran nuclear deal • Islamic State and terrorism • Israel and Palestine • Latin America • Military • NATO • North Korea • Puerto Rico • Russia • Syria • Syrian refugees • Technology, privacy, and cybersecurity

Polling indexes: Opinion polling during the Trump administration

See also: Appointment confirmation process

This page tracked President Donald Trump's initial Cabinet nominees. For his Cabinet members, click here.

Before a presidential Cabinet nominee can be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he or she must pass several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy. Supporters and opponents of the nominee may also testify.^[1] Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation.^[1]

The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration.^[1] Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until two-thirds of the Senate vote to invoke cloture, closing debate.^[1] Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.^[1]

This page tracked the progress of President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees. The median wait time for a nominee between his or her formal nomination and confirmation or withdrawal was one day in the previous four administrations.^[2] Scandal, controversial policy positions, and partisanship, however, can lead to more extended confirmation periods for any individual nominee.

Overview of confirmation process[edit]

The Cabinet, which was established by Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, has 16 members: the vice president and the heads of 15 departments. Cabinet members advise the president on issues relating to their respective offices.^[3] All of Trump's Cabinet members were confirmed by April 27, 2017, except for Andrew Puzder, who withdrew from consideration for secretary of labor on February 15, 2017.

Cabinet nominees[edit]

U.S. Secretary of State[edit]

Rex Tillerson[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Rex Tillerson
Position: Secretary of State
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 12, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 11, 2017
a	Committee:	Senate Foreign Relations Committee
a	Reported:	January 23, 2017 11-10
a	Confirmed:	February 1, 2017
a	Vote:	56-43

On December 12, 2016, President Donald Trump announced that he was selecting Rex Tillerson as his nominee for secretary of state.^[5]

Tillerson was the chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil. In 2011, Tillerson brokered an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to gain access to arctic resources and authorized OAO Rosneft, Russia’s state oil company, to invest in Exxon's global concessions. In 2014, U.S. sanctions against Russia halted the deal.^[6] In 2012, Putin awarded Tillerson Russia's Order of Friendship.^[6]

Tillerson served on the executive committee of the American Petroleum Institute. He was a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.^[7] Tillerson was the vice-chairman of the Ford’s Theatre Society. He also served as the president of the Boy Scouts of America and director of United Negro College Fund.^[8]

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a confirmation hearing for Tillerson on January 11, 2017.^[9] On January 23, 2017, the committee approved of Tillerson's nomination by a vote of 11-10. All Republican committee members gave Tillerson a favorable vote, while all Democrats opposed him.^[10]

Tillerson was confirmed by the Senate on February 1, 2017, by a vote of 56-43. The vote fell mostly along party lines with all Republican senators voting in favor of Tillerson’s nomination. Three Democrats—Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), and Mark Warner (Va.)—and Independent Angus King (Maine) voted to confirm Tillerson. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons (D) did not vote.^[11][12]

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury[edit]

Steven Mnuchin[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Steve Mnuchin
Position: Secretary of the Treasury
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 29, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 19, 2017
a	Committee:	Senate Finance Committee
a	Reported:	February 1, 2017 (14-0)
a	Confirmed:	February 13, 2017
a	Vote:	53-47

On November 29, 2016, President Donald Trump announced that he was selecting Steven Mnuchin as his nominee for secretary of the treasury.^[13] Mnuchin was a finance executive who worked for Goldman Sachs and Soros Fund Management.^[14]

After receiving his bachelor's degree from Yale University, Mnuchin began working for the investment firm Goldman Sachs in 1985. Mnuchin spent 17 years with the firm, eventually serving as chief information officer. When Mnuchin left Goldman Sachs, he briefly worked with Soros Fund Management as part of the fixed income, currency, and commodities division. He also served as CEO of IMB Holdco.^[14] Mnuchin then began a series of investments in media, real estate, and banking through his hedge fund Dune Capital Management, which he co-founded and for which he served as the co-executive officer. He was also the sole founder of Dune Real Estate Partners. Some of his notable investments included OneWest Bank Group (formerly IndyMac), which was sold to the CIT Group in 2015. Mnuchin financially backed several films. He was involved in producing The Accountant, Sully, American Sniper, and others.^[14][15][16]

Mnuchin became involved with Trump during the 2016 presidential election when Mnuchin served as the campaign's finance chair beginning in May 2016. He was also a member of Donald Trump's presidential transition team, a group of advisors tasked with recommending presidential appointments for the incoming administration.

The Senate Finance Committee held a confirmation hearing for Mnuchin on January 19, 2017. A confirmation vote was scheduled for January 30, 2017; however, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) refused to participate in the vote, delaying the committee. Lawmakers responded by temporarily halting a rule requiring at least one Democrat to be present for the votes and approved Mnuchin by a vote of 14-0. On February 10, 2017, the Senate voted to end a Democratic filibuster over his nomination. The Senate voted to confirm Mnuchin on February 13, 2017, by a vote of 53-47.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22]}

U.S. Secretary of Defense[edit]

James Mattis[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: James Mattis
Position: Secretary of Defense
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 1, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 12, 2017
a	Committee:	Senate Armed Services Committee
a	Reported:	January 18, 2017, (26-1)
a	Confirmed:	January 20, 2017
a	Vote:	98-1

On December 1, 2016, President Donald Trump announced that he was selecting General James Mattis as his nominee for secretary of defense.^[23]

Mattis is a retired Marine Corps four-star general. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1969. In 1972, he graduated from Central Washington University and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the western Pacific with the Third Marine Division.^[24] In 2007, Mattis was promoted to the rank of four-star general and became the head of the U.S. Joint Forces Command. In 2010, he replaced General David Petraeus as head of the U.S. Central Command where he focused on combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mattis retired in 2013. After retirement, Mattis became a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution specializing in military history and contemporary conflict policy.^{[25][26][24][27]}

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a confirmation hearing for Mattis on January 12, 2017.^[28] The Senate confirmed Mattis as secretary of defense by a vote of 98-1 on January 20, 2017.^[29]

U.S. Attorney General[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Jeff Sessions
Position: U.S. Attorney General
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 18, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 10-11, 2017
a	Committee:	Judiciary Committee
a	Reported:	February 1, 2017 11-9
a	Confirmed:	February 8, 2017
a	Vote:	52-47

Jeff Sessions[edit]

The Trump transition team announced on November 18, 2016, that President Donald Trump intended to nominate Sessions to serve as attorney general. Sessions was an early supporter of Trump’s candidacy. Sessions served as a U.S. senator from Alabama from 1997 to 2017 and the attorney general of Alabama from 1994 to 1996. On February 8, 2017, the Senate voted 52-47 to confirm Sessions as attorney general. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was the only Democrat to vote for Sessions.^[30]

U.S. Secretary of the Interior[edit]

Ryan Zinke[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Ryan Zinke
Position: Secretary of the Interior
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 13, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 17, 2017
a	Committee:	Energy and Natural Resources Committee
a	Reported:	January 31, 2017 16-6
a	Confirmed:	March 1, 2017
a	Vote:	68-31

Ryan Zinke was chosen by President Donald Trump as his pick for secretary of the interior on December 13, 2016. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 1, 2017, by a vote of 68-31. He was a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Montana's At-Large Congressional District from 2015 to 2017. He was first elected to the House in 2014.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce[edit]

Wilbur Ross[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Wilbur Ross
Position: Secretary of Commerce
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 30, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 18, 2017
a	Committee:	Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
a	Reported:	January 24, 2017 (Voice vote)
a	Confirmed:	February 27, 2017
a	Vote:	72-27

Wilbur Ross was named as President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of commerce on November 30, 2016.^[31] According to Politico, sources said that Ross was expected to "be the most influential Commerce secretary in decades and will lead the effort to change the trade agenda to meet Trump’s vision."^[32][33]

During an interview on CNBC on November 30, 2016, Ross criticized multinational trade deals. He said, “The problem with regional trade agreements is you get picked apart by the first country. Then you negotiate with the second you get picked apart. And you go with the third one. You get picked apart again. What has to be put into perspective, we are the big market. We are the world's biggest importer. We need to treat the other countries as good suppliers. Not as determining the whole show.” In August 2016, Ross criticized U.S. trade policies, a cornerstone of Trump’s candidacy. He said, “Free trade is like free lunch, there is no free lunch. Somebody wins and somebody loses and unfortunately we’ve been losing with these stupid agreements that we’ve made.”^[34][35]

The Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a confirmation hearing for Ross on January 18, 2017. The committee approved Ross on January 24, 2017, via voice vote. The Senate voted to approve Ross on February 27, 2017, by a vote of 72-27.^[36][37][38]

U.S. Secretary of Labor[edit]

R. Alexander Acosta[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: R. Alexander Acosta
Position: Secretary of Labor
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	February 16, 2017
a	Hearing:	March 22, 2017
a	Committee:	Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
a	Reported:	March 30, 2017 (12-11)
a	Confirmed:	April 27, 2017
a	Vote:	60-38

R. Alexander Acosta was announced as President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of labor on February 16, 2017. His nomination came a day after Andrew Puzder, Trump's first pick for the position, withdrew from consideration.^[39]

Acosta received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. He clerked for Justice Samuel Alito when Alito sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Acosta practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis. As a member of the National Labor Relations Board, Acosta was involved in more than 125 opinions. In 2009, he became dean of the Florida International University School of Law.^[40]

Acosta also chaired the board of U.S. Century Bank and previously worked as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers.^[41]

His confirmation hearing before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee was held on March 22, 2017. Acosta was questioned about the fiduciary rule, efforts to expand the number of workers eligible for overtime pay, and his time at the Justice Department.^[42]

On April 27, 2017, Acosta was confirmed by the Senate, 60-38. Eight Democrats—Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Jon Tester (Mont.), and Mark Warner (Va.)—and one independent, Angus King (Maine), supported Acosta. He was the final member of Trump's Cabinet to be confirmed.^[43]

Andrew Puzder[edit]

On December 8, 2016, Donald Trump announced that he was selecting Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owned fast-food chains like Hardee’s and Green Burrito, as his nominee for secretary of Labor.^[44] Puzder served as a trustee for a joint fundraising committee for Trump’s presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee. At the 2016 Republican National Convention, he was on the Platform Committee as a delegate from California and served as the co-chair of the subcommittee on “Restoring the American Dream,” which focused on economic, labor, and tax issues. In 2010, he co-authored a book called Job Creation: How it Really Works and Why Government Doesn’t Understand It, in which he argued, "Private enterprise, unencumbered by excessive government intervention, will create jobs."^[45]

Puzder's confirmation hearing was initially scheduled for January 17, 2017. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions delayed Puzder's hearing, holding Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos's hearing on that day instead.^[46] "Because of the complicated Senate calendar in January, the hearing may not be until February," a congressional aide said.^[47]

On January 31, 2017, Puzder's confirmation hearing was delayed for a fourth time because Puzder’s financial disclosures and other necessary paperwork had not yet been submitted to the Senate.^[48]

Puzder withdrew his nomination on February 15, 2017, following reports that he did not have sufficient support in the Republican-controlled Senate to be confirmed.^[49][50] He said in a statement, "After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. I want to thank President Trump for his nomination. ... While I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team."^[51]

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services[edit]

Tom Price[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Tom Price
Position: Secretary of Health and Human Services
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 28, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 18, 2017
a	Committee:	Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
a	Reported:	February 1, 2017 (14-0)
a	Confirmed:	February 10, 2017
a	Vote:	52-47

On November 28, 2016, the Trump transition team announced that President Donald Trump intended to nominate Tom Price for secretary of health and human services.

Price, an orthopedic surgeon and six-term member of Congress, was a critic of Obamacare and began offering alternatives to the law as early as 2009 when the healthcare bill was first being debated in Congress. In June 2016, at an American Enterprise Institute event, Price said, "They believe the government ought to be in control of health care. We believe that patients and doctors should be in control of health care."^[52]

Price appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for an initial hearing on January 18, 2017. On January 24, 2017, Price had a second hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Finance. On January 31, 2017, Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee boycotted the meeting to vote on Price's nomination. On February 1, 2017, Democrats again boycotted the committee's meeting. In a letter to committee chair Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the committee's Democrats said, "We have significant concerns that both Mr. Mnuchin and Congressman Price gave inaccurate and misleading testimony and responses to questions to the Committee." Republicans then suspended the committee's rule that required a member of the minority party be present for a vote and voted 14-0 to send Price's nomination to the Senate for a full vote.^[53][54] On February 10, 2017, Price was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-47 vote that fell along party lines.^[55]

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development[edit]

Ben Carson[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Ben Carson
Position: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 5, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 12, 2017
a	Committee:	Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
a	Reported:	January 24, 2017 23-0
a	Confirmed:	March 2, 2017
a	Vote:	58-41

On December 5, 2016, the Trump transition team announced that President Donald Trump intended to nominate Ben Carson for secretary of housing and urban development (HUD).

Carson's professional experience included working as the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and running his own philanthropic organization. Carson endorsed Trump after suspending his own bid for the Republican nomination in March 2016.

Carson appeared before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on January 12, 2017. On January 24, 2017, the committee unanimously voted to favorably report Carson's nomination to a full Senate vote. He was confirmed by a Senate vote of 58-41 on March 2, 2017.^[56][57]

U.S. Secretary of Energy[edit]

Rick Perry[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Rick Perry
Position: Secretary of Energy
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 13, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 19, 2017
a	Committee:	Energy and Natural Resources Committee
a	Reported:	January 31, 2017 17-6
a	Confirmed:	March 2, 2017
a	Vote:	62-37

Rick Perry was selected by President Donald Trump as his choice for secretary of energy on December 13, 2016. The United States Senate confirmed Perry to the position on March 2, 2017, by a vote of 62-37.

Perry served as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. From 1999 to 2000, he served as lieutenant governor of Texas under President George W. Bush. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991.

Perry was a Republican candidate for the office of President of the United States in 2016. He suspended his campaign on September 11, 2015, making him the first candidate to drop out of the race. Perry addressed the audience at the Eagle Forum's summit in St. Louis, Missouri explaining, "When I gave my life to Christ, I said, 'your ways are greater than my ways. Your will superior to mine.' Today I submit that His will remains a mystery, but some things have become clear. That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States."^[58] Perry also ran for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the 2012 presidential election.

U.S. Secretary of Education[edit]

Betsy DeVos[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Betsy DeVos
Position: Secretary of Education
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 23, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 17, 2017
a	Committee:	Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
a	Reported:	January 31, 2017 (12-11)
a	Confirmed:	February 7, 2017
a	Vote:	51-50

On November 23, 2016, the Trump transition team announced that President Donald Trump intended to nominate Betsy DeVos for secretary of education.

DeVos and her husband Dick were longtime Republican Party donors and advocates for school choice and charter schools. For six years between 1996 and 2005, DeVos was the chair of the Republican Party of Michigan, and the DeVos Family as a whole supported the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and The Acton Institute. DeVos herself described these donations as intended "to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues."^[59]

Betsy and Dick DeVos worked to fund, endorse, and publicly campaign for school vouchers in Michigan during the 2000 election. In a 2013 interview, DeVos said she was a proponent of "as much freedom as possible" in schooling, indicating that this commitment extended beyond vouchers: "We think of the educational choice movement as involving many parts: vouchers and tax credits, certainly, but also virtual schools, magnet schools, homeschooling, and charter schools." She was the chair of the American Federation for Children, a nonprofit that advocates for education choice at the state level.^[60][61]

DeVos appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on January 17, 2017, for about three-and-a-half hours. On January 31, 2017, the committee voted along party lines, 12-11, to favorably report DeVos' nomination to a full Senate vote.^[62]

On February 7, 2017, Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the United States Senate as secretary of education. The vote was 51-50, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote. It was the first time in history a vice president had been called upon to break a tie in a vote on a cabinet nomination.^[63]

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs[edit]

David Shulkin[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: David Shulkin
Position: Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	January 11, 2017
a	Hearing:	February 1, 2017
a	Committee:	Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
a	Reported:	February 7, 2017, (15-0)
a	Confirmed:	February 13, 2017
a	Vote:	100-0

David Shulkin was chosen by President Donald Trump to serve as his secretary of veterans affairs on January 11, 2017. The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a confirmation hearing for Shulkin on February 1, 2017. The committee approved Shulkin's nomination for secretary of veterans affairs on February 7, 2017, by a vote of 15-0.^[64] The Senate confirmed Shulkin by a vote of 100-0 on February 13, 2017.^[65]

Shulkin, a former healthcare executive, had served as the department's undersecretary for health since June 2015.^[66] His chief responsibility in this position was to oversee the VA's healthcare system.^[67]

After graduating from Hampshire College in 1982, Shulkin attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania, receiving his M.D. in 1986. He went on to study business at the University of Pittsburgh and spent time researching the cost of healthcare as a clinical scholar with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.^[68] He served in a number of healthcare administrative roles, including as president of New York's Beth Israel Medical Center and Morristown (Pennsylvania) Medical Center.^[69]

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security[edit]

John Kelly[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: John Kelly
Position: Secretary of Homeland Security
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 12, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 10, 2017
a	Committee:	Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
d	Reported:
a	Confirmed:	January 20, 2017
a	Vote:	88-11

On December 12, 2016, President Donald Trump announced that he was selecting John Kelly as his nominee for secretary of homeland security.^[70]

Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970 and was discharged two years later as a sergeant. After graduating from college in 1976, he rejoined the 2nd Marine Division. In 1995, Kelly graduated from the National War College. In 1999, Kelly was sent to Belgium to serve as special assistant to the supreme allied commander in Europe. After a short stint at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Kelly became a brigadier general and was deployed to Iraq. He returned to the U.S. in 2004 to serve as legislative assistant to the commandant in Washington, D.C., until 2007. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted, once more, to major general and was transferred to Camp Pendleton, before being deployed to Iraq in 2008. Promoted to lieutenant general, Kelly took over the Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in 2009. In 2011, he served as senior military assistant to the secretary of defense until 2012. In 2012, he joined the Department of Defense's United States Southern Command as commander.^[8] He retired from Southern Command in 2016 and took an advisory role with the Homeland Security Advisory Council.^[71][72]

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing for Kelly on January 10, 2017.^[73] The Senate confirmed Kelly as secretary of homeland security by a vote of 88-11 on January 20, 2017.^[74]

U.S. Secretary of Transportation[edit]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Elaine Chao
Position: Secretary of Transportation
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 29, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 11, 2017
a	Committee:	Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
a	Reported:	January 24, 2017
a	Confirmed:	January 31, 2017
a	Vote:	93-6 (1 voting present)

Elaine Chao was named by President Donald Trump as his choice for secretary of transportation on November 29, 2016. Chao previously served under President George W. Bush as secretary of labor from 2001 to 2009.^[75]

Chao was born on March 26, 1953, in Taipei, Taiwan. She received a bachelor's degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. After completing her education, she worked in the private sector for financial institutions like Citicorp and Bank America, before becoming the deputy maritime administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation in the 1980s. Chao went on to lead the Peace Corps and United Way of America.^[76]

In 2001, Chao became the first American woman of Asian descent to serve in a presidential cabinet, acting as the secretary of labor in both of President George W. Bush's terms in office.^[77]

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for Chao on January 11, 2017. On January 31, 2017, the United States Senate voted 93-6 to confirm Chao as secretary of transportation. The six no votes were cast by Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), Chao's husband, voted present.^[78]

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Sonny Perdue
Position: Secretary of Agriculture
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	January 18, 2017
a	Hearing:	March 23, 2017
a	Committee:	Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
a	Reported:	March 30, 2017 19-1
a	Confirmed:	April 24, 2017
a	Vote:	87-11

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture[edit]

Sonny Perdue, the former Governor of Georgia, was selected by President Donald Trump to serve as secretary of agriculture on January 18, 2017. On March 23, 2017, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing on Perdue's nomination. On March 30, 2017, the committee advanced Perdue's nomination to the full Senate by a vote of 19-1. On April 24, 2017, Perdue was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 87-11.^[79][80]

Upon his inauguration as governor in January 2003, Perdue became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin Conley at the end of Reconstruction in the 1870s. Perdue won a Georgia state senate seat in 1992 as a Democrat. He switched to the Republican Party in April 1998.

Recent news[edit]

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See also[edit]

• Policy issues under the Trump administration
• Donald Trump

Footnotes[edit]