Tag Archives: Biden Cabinet

The Washington Post reports: The number of attendees who have tested positive for the coronavirus after last weekend’s Gridiron dinner has risen to 67, organizers say, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack [photo], who became the third member of Biden’s Cabinet in attendance who was infected. The new figures, released Saturday evening by the organizers of the dinner, do not include …

The Washington Post reports: Housing Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Tuesday moved to reinstate fair housing regulations that had been gutted under President Donald Trump, in one of the most tangible steps that the Biden administration has taken to address systemic racism. The effort comes less than three months after Biden signed executive orders aimed at increasing racial equity across …

Reuters reports: U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will kicked off a two-day visit to Utah on Thursday where she will meet with tribes and political officials to discuss the potential restoration of two national monuments that were slashed in size by former President Donald Trump in order to open them to mining and drilling. The visit is the centerpiece of …

CNN reports: The Senate narrowly confirmed Xavier Becerra to be the Health and Human Services secretary on Thursday, giving the former California attorney general a crucial role in fighting the pandemic. Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, is the first Latino HHS secretary. The vote was 50 to 49. During the confirmation process, Becerra stressed his upbringing, his father’s recent …

ABC News reports: The Senate is poised to confirm Xavier Becerra as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Thursday despite nearly unanimous opposition from Republicans, who have tried to brand him as a radical and unqualified. Becerra, currently the attorney general of California, would be the first Latino to lead the department. If he is confirmed, Becerra …

NPR reports: Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history. The Senate voted 51-40 Monday to confirm the Democratic Congresswoman to lead the Interior Department, an agency that will play a crucial role in the Biden administration’s ambitious efforts to combat climate change and conserve nature. Republican lawmakers …

The Hill reports: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Thursday said he will vote to confirm Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services. Manchin’s support will likely give Democrats the necessary votes for confirmation, after the Senate Finance Committee deadlocked on advancing President Biden’s nominee to lead the health agency. It is unclear if any GOP senators will vote …

CNN reports: The Senate voted to confirm Michael Regan as President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, where he’ll join an administration that has pledged aggressive action on tackling the climate crisis. With a bipartisan confirmation vote of 66 to 34, Regan will become the first Black man to lead the EPA in the agency’s …

CBS News reports: The Senate is expected to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as attorney general on Wednesday, five years after he was blocked from consideration as former President Barack Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Garland’s nomination is expected to be approved with bipartisan support. The Senate Judiciary Committee last week advanced his nomination with a vote of 15 to …

Spectrum News reports: The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the first Black woman to lead the department in decades. The final vote was 66-34. Notable GOP support included Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, who announced this week he is not seeking reelection, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, …

ABC News reports: A key Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination of New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to be interior secretary, clearing the way for a Senate vote that is likely to make her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved Haaland’s nomination, 11-9, sending it to the Senate …

CNN reports: The White House is pulling the nomination of Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget, according to an administration official. In a statement, President Joe Biden said Tanden requested to withdraw her name from consideration. “I have accepted Neera Tanden’s request to withdraw her name from nomination for Director of the Office of Management and …

Axios reports: The Senate voted 84-15 on Tuesday to confirm Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to lead the Commerce Department. The agency promotes U.S. industry, oversees the Census Bureau, plays a key role in the government’s study of climate change through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and evaluates emerging technology through the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Raimondo, …

USA Today reports: The Senate confirmed Miguel Cardona as President Joe Biden’s education secretary Monday. Cardona, confirmed in a 64-33 vote, will oversee an Education Department that employs thousands and has an annual budget of more than $60 billion. He would also oversee the agency’s $1.5 trillion student loan portfolio. He takes the helm of American schooling at a fraught …

CNBC reports: The Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to be attorney general to the full Senate, paving the way for his confirmation to head the Department of Justice. The bipartisan vote was 15-7. A full Senate vote has not been scheduled but could come early this week. Garland’s hearings before the committee last …

The Associated Press reports: Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm won Senate confirmation Thursday to be President Joe Biden’s energy secretary. The vote was 64-35. Granholm, who served two terms as governor in a state dominated by the auto industry, will be a key player in Biden’s vision for a green economy as the United States fights to slow climate change. …

Axios reports: The Senate on Tuesday voted 92-7 to confirm former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The big picture: Vilsack, a longtime supporter of President Biden, is returning to the department he led for eight years under the Obama administration. He served as governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. Between the lines: Sen. …

The Wall Street Journal reports: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is expected to face a tough confirmation hearing Tuesday as Republicans are set to argue that President Biden’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary is overly liberal and lacks public-health experience. Mr. Becerra’s hearing Tuesday with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will be followed by a …

The Associated Press reports: For Native Americans, Deb Haaland is more than an elected official on track to become the first Indigenous secretary of the Interior Department. She is a sister, an auntie and a fierce pueblo woman whose political stances have been molded by her upbringing. On Tuesday, Haaland’s confirmation hearing will be closely watched in tribal communities across …

ABC News reports: Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland will face another day of questioning Tuesday on how he’ll oversee probes ranging from the Jan. 6 Capitol breach to Hunter Biden’s business dealings — along with his stance on left-wing rioters in Portland and Seattle. Garland pledged during Monday’s hearing that handling the investigation into last month’s deadly siege on the …