The Senate GOP has been working in overdrive to confirm key officials for President Donald Trump’s administration faster than his predecessors.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans in the upper chamber have successfully approved 18 of the 22 Cabinet positions.
The most recent was former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was confirmed to lead Trump’s Small Business Administration (SBA).
With the successful confirmation of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick last week, the 17th official put in place, Republicans and Trump officially outpaced former President Joe Biden, who had just seven nominees confirmed at the same point in 2021.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso’s office pointed out that former President Barack Obama had only 16 Cabinet officials confirmed by February 18, 2009, during his first term, meaning that Trump outpaced him as well with Lutnick’s confirmation.
His office noted that 17 Cabinet nominees were not confirmed for Obama in 2009 until he had been in office for 36 days, citing official congressional records. Biden did not see 17 Cabinet nominees confirmed for 56 days.
The GOP-led Senate confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director last week, giving Trump another win, even though Patel is not a member of the president’s Cabinet.
‘By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified,’ Barrasso said on the Senate floor before Patel’s vote.
‘That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many,’ he said.
‘Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it,’ he said.
While they still have a handful of Cabinet nominees left to confirm, the approval of Patel marked a crucial accomplishment for the party, as they officially put in place each of the president’s most controversial picks.
Trump nominated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Patel, each of whom managed to lose the support of at least one Republican.
And while their confirmations were at some points uphill battles for the administration, each of them successfully got past the finish line.
Those still left to be confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet are Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary, of Labor Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education, U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Elise Stefanik to be ambassador to the United Nations.