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Picking Biden's Cabinet


DMC

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That leaves Haaland, Becerra, and Walsh in the Cabinet proper awaiting confirmation. Walsh seems a shoe-in, Haaland seems likely to win narrowly, and Becerra is looking to be with only Democratic votes to get his nomination out of committee and up for a final vote. 

Among Cabinet level nominations we have left Tai, Guzman, Lander, and the yet unknown person who is named to replace Tanden. Tai and Guzman just await a final vote, but Lander isn't out of committee yet (a very late Biden pick.) We could be looking at only Lander and Tanden's replacement needing confirmation by the end of the week  or early next week.

9 minutes ago, DMC said:

Well that was fast.  Wonder if they're eyeing a four day weekend.

Sounds like they need to work the full week to me.

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1 minute ago, SFDanny said:

We could be looking at only Lander and Tanden's replacement needing confirmation by the end of the week  or early next week.

That sounds overly optimistic.  Becerra's, at least, will be delayed quite a bit.  Haaland's vote isn't likely until next week.  Maybe they'll get the other three done by Friday, but the fact I'm not seeing even any cloture votes scheduled for them as of yet isn't encouraging.  

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Manchin confirms he supports Becerra, and Collins has too, so Harris at least won't be needed. I believe the vote today is just on discharging the nomination out of committee (since the committee vote was tied). No idea when cloture or confirmation will occur.

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29 minutes ago, Fez said:

Manchin confirms he supports Becerra, and Collins has too, so Harris at least won't be needed. I believe the vote today is just on discharging the nomination out of committee (since the committee vote was tied). No idea when cloture or confirmation will occur.

The vote on Becerra was 51 - 48 in favor. Looks like a vote on confirmation next week. Haaland is being debated now and is scheduled for a vote on Monday. Guzman and Tai were also moved forward for a vote, but it is unclear if they will be voted for on Monday as well. I see nothing on Walsh yet. 

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Haaland's cloture vote 54-42.  Interesting 4 Republicans didn't vote - Burr, Cassidy, Kennedy, Moran.  Especially considering all but Burr voted on Becerra's discharge motion earlier today.  Along with Collins and Murkowski, Graham and Sullivan voted for cloture.  Doubt Graham will vote for her on Monday, but Sullivan should be interesting, and his spokesperson left it open:

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“Senator Sullivan had another hour-long meeting with Congresswoman Haaland yesterday and is following up on numerous commitments Haaland has made to him and continuing to evaluate her responses to questions he has raised,” Adams wrote in an email to HuffPost.

 

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On 3/11/2021 at 2:00 PM, DMC said:

Haaland's cloture vote 54-42.  Interesting 4 Republicans didn't vote - Burr, Cassidy, Kennedy, Moran.  Especially considering all but Burr voted on Becerra's discharge motion earlier today.  Along with Collins and Murkowski, Graham and Sullivan voted for cloture.  Doubt Graham will vote for her on Monday, but Sullivan should be interesting, and his spokesperson left it open:

 

Sullivan's vote does look interesting. Alaska has a relatively large and politically active Native American population, which might explain his vote. It  also doesn't hurt that Don Young testified in committee for Haaland. Young has been the Republican Party in Alaska forever, and is the one of the most powerful politicians in the state.

I haven't a clue about the quartet who missed the vote? Their Barbershop singing group had a gig? As to Graham? Not sure that I care to hear his explanation.

I did see this on the Senate's site:

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Isabella Casillas Guzman (Cal. No. 26) Katherine C. Tai (Cal. No. 29)

Ordered, That with respect to the motions to invoke cloture on the nominations of Isabella Casillas Guzman, of California, to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration and Katherine C. Tai, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary the mandatory quorum calls required under Rule XXII be waived. (Mar. 11, 2021.)

This looks to lay the groundwork for a vote this week on both of them. Becerra looks to be near as well? Any idea on Walsh?

At OMB, Shalanda Young looks to get a vote as Deputy Director before Biden even nominates someone to replace Tanden. 

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1 hour ago, SFDanny said:

Their Barbershop singing group had a gig?

Luckily, these guys are no longer in Congress...

 

1 hour ago, SFDanny said:

Any idea on Walsh?

Yes!

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The U.S. Senate has scheduled a floor vote on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s nomination to be President Joe Biden’s labor secretary on March 22, WCVB and the Boston Herald reported Friday afternoon.

Walsh’s office said they could not immediately confirm the news, noting that a vote had yet to be formally scheduled. 

 

1 hour ago, SFDanny said:

At OMB, Shalanda Young looks to get a vote as Deputy Director before Biden even nominates someone to replace Tanden. 

Maybe he's waiting for Young to be confirmed before nominating her again?  That'd make sense if they want her to actually take office to start doing the work.  Otherwise I dunno why he's taking so long.

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Haaland confirmed 51-40.  Both Graham and Sullivan voted in favor.  If you were doing the math, 9 (!) Senators didn't vote...

I'm mostly kidding, I have no idea why so many didn't vote - 3 Democrats didn't vote along with 6 Republicans.  Maybe they have St. Patty's Day plans back at home.  It is curious that both Colorado Senators (Bennet and Hickenlooper) didn't vote for Interior Secretary.  Both Wyoming Senators (Barrasso and Lummis) didn't the vote as well.

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59 minutes ago, DMC said:

Haaland confirmed 51-40.  Both Graham and Sullivan voted in favor.  If you were doing the math, 9 (!) Senators didn't vote...

I'm mostly kidding, I have no idea why so many didn't vote - 3 Democrats didn't vote along with 6 Republicans.  Maybe they have St. Patty's Day plans back at home.  It is curious that both Colorado Senators (Bennet and Hickenlooper) didn't vote for Interior Secretary.  Both Wyoming Senators (Barrasso and Lummis) didn't the vote as well.

The Senate needs to just disappear.  What Dem couldn't be assed to show up for this?

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15 minutes ago, larrytheimp said:

The Senate needs to just disappear.  What Dem couldn't be assed to show up for this?

The other Dem along with the Colorado two was Mazie Hirono.  Hawaii is pretty far away.  As for the Colorado guys, it appears they were stuck in the snowstorm:

 

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Isabella Guzman confirmed at SBA 81-17.  Also, Katherine Tai's cloture vote was unanimously approved 98-0.  One would think she should be confirmed by tomorrow at the latest.

With Walsh's vote scheduled for Monday, that just leaves Becerra (and technically Lander).  I suppose it's appropriate that the Cabinet post the GOP is going to put up the biggest fight against during a pandemic is Health and Human Services.

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2 hours ago, DMC said:

Isabella Guzman confirmed at SBA 81-17.  Also, Katherine Tai's cloture vote was unanimously approved 98-0.  One would think she should be confirmed by tomorrow at the latest.

With Walsh's vote scheduled for Monday, that just leaves Becerra (and technically Lander).  I suppose it's appropriate that the Cabinet post the GOP is going to put up the biggest fight against during a pandemic is Health and Human Services.

Tai's vote is schedule on tomorrow's calendar. Becerra and Walsh are scheduled to get cloture vote tomorrow. I haven't seen when that means Becerra will get an actual confirmation vote. Likely we can read the tea leaves by when the VP will be in DC. I would expect we will see Young being voted on soon and be the de facto head of the OMB until she can either be confirmed in that role, or Biden names someone else to replace Tanden.

Lander was the last person named for a Cabinet level position, and he hasn't even got a committee hearing yet. It maybe a while for him.

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From tomorrow's US Senate executive calendar:

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UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT

Xavier Becerra (Cal. No. 37) Martin Joseph Walsh (Cal. No. 17)

Ordered, That upon the conclusion of morning business on Thursday, March 18, 2021, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of Xavier Becerra, of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Ordered further, That at 12 noon, the post-cloture debate time on the Becerra nomination expire.

Ordered further, That if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate’s actions.

Ordered further, That upon disposition of the Becerra nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the nomination of Martin Joseph Walsh, of Massachusetts, to be Secretary of Labor, and the cloture motion with respect to the Walsh nomination ripen at 1:30 p.m.

Ordered further, That with respect to the motion to invoke cloture on the Walsh nomination, the mandatory quorum call required under Rule XXII be waived. (Mar. 15, 17, 2021.)

Looks like both Becerra and Walsh will get their confirmation votes tomorrow. Which would give Biden his full Cabinet proper, and everyone but Tanden, who was withdrawn, and Lander, who was the last nominee announced on the Cabinet level.

Unfortunately, I don't trust Collins to not change her vote at the last minute. It wouldn't make any sense for her to do so, but Collins's history is so convoluted it is always a question of just what she will do.

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On 3/17/2021 at 2:22 PM, DMC said:

Also, Becerra's cloture vote passed 50-49.  Collins voted with the Dems.

And confirmed with the same vote. With Hirono still away due to some sort of family emergency it's a good thing Collins was an aye, otherwise who knows how long Becerra would've been held up.

 

Also, it's not cabinet-level anymore, but apparently Bill Nelson is getting the nomination to be NASA Administrator. I'm sure he'll be easily confirmed, but I'm not sure he'll be great at the job (though, to be fair, I don't know how much the Administrator actually does). I know people who worked in his senate office 10 years ago saying he'd lost a step back then already.

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Walsh cloture vote passes 68-30.  Final vote set for Monday.

13 minutes ago, Fez said:

Also, it's not cabinet-level anymore, but apparently Bill Nelson is getting the nomination to be NASA Administrator. I'm sure he'll be easily confirmed, but I'm not sure he'll be great at the job (though, to be fair, I don't know how much the Administrator actually does). I know people who worked in his senate office 10 years ago saying he'd lost a step back then already.

This is obviously another shining example of Biden elevating and ushering in the next generation of Democratic talent.  I like how Jen Psaki's comments on the reports boiled down to describing NASA Administrator as "a cool job."  Nelson does have experience in the policy area - and he's actually been to space - but this sounds more like a way to have your old buddy hang out at Cape Canaveral with a cool title.

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On 3/18/2021 at 12:13 PM, DMC said:

Walsh cloture vote passes 68-30.  Final vote set for Monday.

This is obviously another shining example of Biden elevating and ushering in the next generation of Democratic talent.  I like how Jen Psaki's comments on the reports boiled down to describing NASA Administrator as "a cool job."  Nelson does have experience in the policy area - and he's actually been to space - but this sounds more like a way to have your old buddy hang out at Cape Canaveral with a cool title.

Walsh was confirmed on a vote of 68-29 today. It looks like Young and Murthy will be confirmed tomorrow. Don't know who missed the vote.

If one wants to spin the possible positive side of a Nelson appointment to NASA, he could bring Senate political knowledge and enthusiasm for the agency in a fight for budget dollars. Knowing the way around the Senate corridors isn't necessarily a bad thing. Let's see if he can conjure up some bipartisan support for Biden endorsed space initiatives. Of course, then the cynic in me thinks your take is likely right.

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