The GOP-Led Senate’s Rapid Pace of Trump Cabinet Confirmations

With the confirmation of Donald Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget Thursday night, the Senate has outpaced itself for the number of Cabinet confirmations completed by this point in time since the George W. Bush administration in 2001.

Now, it’s down to the home stretch with crucial confirmation votes for director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, secretary of health and human services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and FBI director nominee Kash Patel still to come.

“It’s been a busy few weeks here in the Senate,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said from the Senate floor Wednesday. “And I’m looking forward to more, as we continue to confirm the president’s nominees and deliver on an agenda for the American people.”

The tally stands at 13 nominees confirmed in 18 days, a speed only outpaced by the number confirmed for Bush, who had his entire cabinet confirmed by Feb. 1. During both Joe Biden’s presidency and Trump’s first term, only six nominees were confirmed by Feb. 6. President Barack Obama had three.

The pace of confirmations is a result of Thune’s commitment to processing nominees as quickly as possible and prioritizing the Senate’s floor time to achieve this goal, a government official told The Daily Signal.

At press time, Trump’s confirmed cabinet nominees stand as follows:

1. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
2. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
3. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem
4. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent
5. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy
6. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum
7. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright
8. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins
9. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner
10. Attorney General Pam Bondi
11. Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin
12. Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe
13. Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought

Democrats are intentionally slowing the process, according to Senate Majority Whip Barrasso, R-Wyo. Democrat senators pulled an all-nighter Wednesday to oppose Vought’s confirmation, filibustering into the early morning hours.

“I sat in the presiding officer’s chair during the wee hours of the night listening to concerns by the Democrats,” Barrasso said from the floor Thursday. “The Democrats continue to want to slow things down. Republicans are not going to allow it to happen.”

Barrasso said the pace matches the energy of the moment as Senate Republicans work overtime to confirm cabinet picks and start moving on Trump’s agenda.

“President Trump deserves to have his nominees in place swiftly,” Barrasso said.

With the passage of the Laken Riley Act, the Senate is already moving on Trump’s agenda and sending legislation across his desk. The president signed the act into law last week, making it the first bill of his second administration. The bill aims to enable Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens who have committed certain crimes.

“Had such a law been in place last year, it is possible that Laken Riley would still be alive today,” Thune said from the floor Thursday.

Despite the slow-down of procedural votes, Thune filed cloture, ending debate on nominees Kennedy, secretary of commerce nominee Howard Lutnick, secretary of agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins, and administrator of the Small Business Administration nominee Kelly Loeffler Thursday night.

To continue the momentum, the Senate Republicans will look to confirm these nominees as well as Gabbard and Patel next week.

Completion of the confirmation process may be slowed, however, as Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee have delayed the vote to confirm Patel.

Thune has indicated that he and Senate Republicans are committed to confirming the nominees and delivering on the president’s agenda.

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