Senate Republicans Are Confirming President Trump’s Cabinet Faster Than 2021, 2017, and 2009

President Trump Is Getting His Team Faster Than Any Incoming Administration Since 2001 - Outpacing the Biden Administration, First Trump Administration, and Obama Administration

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THE SENATE HAS CONFIRMED MORE CABINET NOMINEES IN 2025 THAN AT THIS POINT IN 2017 AND 2009, AND MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PACE OF 2021

The Senate has confirmed 18 Cabinet or Cabinet-level nominees, which is faster than in 2017 and 2009, and more than double the pace of 2021. (United States Senate: Donald J. Trump Cabinet Nominations – accessed 2/18/25; PN51: Roll Call Vote #33 – 1/24/17; PN43: Roll Call Vote #32 – 1/23/17; United States Senate: Barack H. Obama Cabinet Nominations – accessed 2/18/25; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 11 – 1/20/09; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 13 – 1/22/09; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 17 – 1/28/09; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 29 – 2/12/09; United States Senate: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Cabinet Nominations – accessed 2/18/25; PN78-10: Roll Call Vote #3 – 1/20/21)

Marco Rubio was confirmed as secretary of state 99-0. (PN11-13: Roll Call Vote #8 – 1/20/25)

John Ratcliffe was confirmed as CIA director 74-25. (PN11-19: Roll Call Vote #13 – 1/23/25)

Pete Hegseth was confirmed as secretary of defense 51-50. (PN11-7: Roll Call Vote #15 – 1/24/25)

Kristi Noem was confirmed as secretary of homeland security 59-34. (PN11-11: Roll Call Vote #17 – 1/25/25)

Scott Bessent was confirmed as secretary of treasury 68-29. (PN11-1: Roll Call Vote #19 – 1/27/25)

Sean Duffy was confirmed as secretary of transportation 77-22. (PN11-6: Roll Call Vote #21 – 1/28/25)

Lee Zeldin was confirmed as EPA administrator 56-42. (PN11-23: Roll Call Vote #24 – 1/29/25)

Doug Burgum was confirmed as secretary of interior 79-18. (PN11-3: Roll Call Vote #26 – 1/30/25)

Chris Wright was confirmed as secretary of energy 59-38. (PN11-15: Roll Call Vote #30 – 2/3/25)

Doug Collins was confirmed as secretary of veterans affairs 77-23. (PN11-5: Roll Call Vote #32 – 2/4/25)

Pam Bondi was confirmed as attorney general 54-46. (PN11-2: Roll Call Vote #33 – 2/4/25)

Scott Turner was confirmed as secretary of housing and urban development 55-44. (PN11-14: Roll Call Vote #35 – 2/5/25)

Russell Vought was confirmed as director of the Office of Management and Budget 53-47. (PN11-22: Roll Call Vote #37 – 2/6/25)

Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as director of national intelligence 52-48. (PN11-16: Roll Call Vote #50 – 2/12/25)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as secretary of health and human services 52-48. (PN11-8: Roll Call Vote #52 – 2/13/25)

Brooke Rollins was confirmed as secretary of agriculture 72-28. (PN11-12: Roll Call Vote #53 – 2/13/25)

Howard Lutnick was confirmed as secretary of commerce 51-45. (PN11-9: Roll Call Vote #57 – 2/18/25)

Kelly Loeffler was confirmed as administrator of the Small Business Administration 52-46. (Senate Republican Cloakroom: Tweet – 2/19/25)

In 2021, it took the Democrat-led Senate until March 16 to confirm 18 of President Biden’s Cabinet nominees. In 2017, the Senate did not have 18 Cabinet nominees confirmed until March 2. In 2009, President Obama did not have 18 Cabinet members in place until February 24. (United States Senate: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Cabinet Nominations – accessed 1/31/25; PN78-10: Roll Call Vote #3 – 1/20/21; PN78-21: Roll Call Vote #64 – 2/23/21; PN78-17: Roll Call Vote #72 – 3/2/21; PN78-16: Roll Call Vote #116 – 3/10/21; PN78-9: Roll Call Vote #121 – 3/16/21; United States Senate: Donald J. Trump Cabinet Nominations – accessed 2/18/25; PN43: Roll Call Vote #32 – 1/23/17; PN51: Roll Call Vote #33 – 1/24/17; PN48: Roll Call Vote #65 – 2/14/17; PN54: Roll Call Vote #68 – 2/16/17; PN44: Roll Call Vote #71 – 2/17/17; United States Senate: Barack H. Obama Cabinet Nominations – accessed 2/18/25; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 11 – 1/20/09; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 13 – 1/22/09; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 17 – 1/28/09; United States Congress: Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 29 – 2/12/09)

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DEMOCRATS HAVE DELAYED THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS, BUT SENATE REPUBLICANS BROKE THROUGH THEIR OBSTRUCTION

“Republicans have ground through procedural obstacles to confirm” President Trump’s Cabinet nominees at “a pace that alarms a broad swath of Democrats.” (Politico: ‘Blow this place up’: Frustrated Democrats want the Senate to fight harder – 2/5/25)

“In an interview, [Democrat Leader Chuck] Schumer said the governors wanted senators to vote ‘no’ on all nominees. ‘Some of my caucus didn’t want to do that, but basically I agreed with [the governors] and said, I’m going to urge people to vote no on every nominee, and we’re going to work hard…’” (The Wall Street Journal: Democrats in Disarray as Trump Pushes Through Agenda – 2/11/25)

Far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for “a halt on all Trump nominees” and “urged Democrats to ‘blow this place up.’” (Politico: ‘Blow this place up’: Frustrated Democrats want the Senate to fight harder – 2/5/25)

“Powerless to stop President Trump or Russell T. Vought, the nominee to lead the White House budget office, Democrats pulled an all-nighter to show their opposition.”

“It was mostly a story of performative protest.” (The New York Times: Senate Democrats Hold the Floor in Overnight Protest of Trump Nominee – 2/6/25)

The left is losing: “Trump is winning on the Senate floor.” (Punchbowl News: The options to jumpstart the Trump agenda – 2/5/25)

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