The Senate Continues Confirming President Trump’s Highly Qualified Cabinet Nominees

These Experienced Nominees are Ready to Get Their Agencies Back on Track to Fix Problems the Biden Administration Left Behind

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S NOMINEES ARE EMINENTLY QUALIFIED AND READY TO DELIVER

Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi will bring decades of legal experience to the role of attorney general, including eight years as Florida’s attorney general and 18 years as a county prosecutor. (U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary: The Nomination of the Honorable Pamela Jo Bondi to be Attorney General of the United States – 1/15/25)

“She engaged in key initiatives to fight human trafficking, counter the opioid epidemic, and protect consumers and protect the citizens of Florida from violence… Her experience and performance as attorney general, prosecutor, and community leader speaks volumes about her character and her dedication to the rule of law.” – Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

In addition to his service in the Georgia state legislature and in Congress, Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary nominee Doug Collins has been an Air Force reservist since 2002, supporting troops as a chaplain. Collins has also served in the Navy and as a pastor. (U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Nomination of the Honorable Douglas A. Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs – 1/21/25; NBC News: Trump picks former Rep. Doug Collins for veterans affairs secretary – 11/14/24)

“He knows first-hand the benefits and challenges of military service and many issues facing veterans and their families.” – Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)

As the nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Scott Turner comes with experience serving the public in the Texas legislature and the first Trump administration, where he worked on the Opportunity Zones initiative. (U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Nomination Hearing – 1/16/25)

“Scott Turner is a native Texan who has had an exceptional journey from professional athlete to public servant… As we start this new chapter, we need new leadership. Scott Turner is the solution we are looking for, and I look forward to his leadership at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.” – Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

Having served as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director in the first Trump administration, OMB director nominee Russell Vought is “driven by a commitment to taxpayers and their families.” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: The Nomination of the Honorable Russell T. Vought, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget – 1/22/25)

“Mr. Vought had this job. He was deputy director. He was OMB director in President Trump's first term… So you've done it once, and you want to do it again, and we're glad, on our side, you're willing to do it again.” – Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION LEFT SERIOUS CHALLENGES ACROSS THESE DEPARTMENTS

According to a September 2024 poll, less than 30% of Americans believe the Department of Justice is doing an “excellent” or “good” job, while 38% believe it’s doing a “poor” job. (Gallup: Secret Service's Job Rating Tumbles 23 Points to New Low – 9/23/24)

In 2023, “[e]ighty-eight percent of [VA] facilities reported severe occupational staffing shortages for Medical Officer, and 92 percent of facilities reported severe shortages for Nurse,” and “[a]ll 139 facilities surveyed reported at least one severe occupational staffing shortage.” (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration’s Severe Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year 2023 – 8/22/23)

During President Biden’s tenure, rent prices increased by over 24%, and in 2024, homelessness increased 18.1%, “hitting a new record.” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – accessed 1/15/25; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – December 2024 – 1/15/25; CBS News: Homelessness surged 18% to a new record in 2024 amid a lack of affordable housing across the U.S. – 12/27/24)

According to an analysis “of self-reported estimates from federal agencies, the cumulative total of regulatory costs under the Biden Administration added up to more than $1.8 trillion – far exceeding any preceding administration on record,” and increased reporting requirements that added up to 356 million new hours of paperwork. (American Action Network: The Biden Regulatory Record – 1/29/25)

EACH OF THE NOMINEES PLEDGED REFORMS TO GET THEIR AGENCIES BACK TO PRIORITIZING THEIR CORE MISSIONS

Bondi said her “overriding objective will be to return the Department of Justice to its core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously prosecuting criminals,” which entails “getting back to basics; gangs, drugs, terrorists, cartels, our border, and our foreign adversaries. That is what the American people expect, and that is what they deserve from the Department of Justice.” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary: The Nomination of the Honorable Pamela Jo Bondi to be Attorney General of the United States – 1/15/25)

Vought said his priorities include “reforming regulation and coordinating policy across agencies to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the American people’s will…” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: The Nomination of the Honorable Russell T. Vought, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget – 1/22/25)

Turner pledged to tackle America’s housing crisis and acknowledged that HUD “is failing at its most basic mission” when it comes to affordable housing, “and that has to come to an end.” (NPR: Trump nominee to lead HUD says the agency is failing in its mission – 1/16/25)

Collins “vowed to put his military service front and center” and to “instill at VA a lasting culture of caring, customer service and accountability.” (NPR: Doug Collins, Trump's nominee to lead the VA, vows to work across the aisle to help vets – 1/22/25; U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Opening Statement of the Honorable Douglas A. Collins As Prepared for Delivery – 1/21/25)

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