All articles tagged with #senate confirmation
The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve by a 54-45 vote, positioning him to overhaul the Fed’s decades-old tools and communications amid pressure from President Trump for lower interest rates and a challenging backdrop of rising prices driven by global tensions, with Warsh’s tenure likely to bring a more brittle relationship with Congress than his predecessor Jerome Powell.
Kevin Warsh was confirmed as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve for a four-year term by a 54-45 Senate vote, succeeding Jerome Powell. His approval comes as inflation remains sticky and political pressure on the Fed grows; Warsh has signaled sweeping changes to governance and communications, while facing the challenge of achieving price stability amid a resilient economy and ongoing debates over potential rate cuts.
The Senate approved Kevin Warsh for the Federal Reserve Board in a 51-45 vote, clearing the way for a potential future chairmanship as Powell’s term ends; Warsh will serve a 14‑year term and join a board that includes Trump and Biden picks, with a separate vote on him becoming chair expected later in the week. Warsh, returning to the Fed after a 2011 stint and currently a Hoover Institution fellow, has been a critic of Fed practices but pledged independence as chair. The confirmation comes amid Trump pressure for rate cuts and ongoing investigations surrounding Powell, which were cited as context though the probe into Powell was quashed; Powell will remain on the board as a rank-and-file member until his term ends in 2028.
President Donald Trump has nominated Kari Lake, a two-time Arizona candidate, to be the U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, with Senate confirmation required. Lake’s background includes gubernatorial and Senate runs and election-related lawsuits. She was previously chosen by Trump to lead an agency overseeing Voice of America and other media services; she terminated contracts and laid off staff, and a March 2026 federal ruling found she lacked authority to dismantle the institution.
The Department of Justice dropped its criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, potentially clearing the way for Kevin Warsh to be confirmed as the Fed's next chair after Powell's term ends. The White House remains confident Warsh will be confirmed, though Senate support is not yet assured as Sen. Thom Tillis has not committed to advancing the nomination. The investigation followed subpoenas and a separate inspector general review into the Fed's building renovations, and Powell has said he intends to stay on the Fed Board until the matter is resolved.
Sean Plankey withdraws from consideration to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency after 13 months, as Senate gridlock—driven largely by Sen. Rick Scott—prevents his confirmation, leaving CISA with acting leadership and ongoing turnover ahead of a new White House nominee.
Trump’s pick to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Kevin Warsh, is bogged down in a stalled Senate Banking Committee fight, with North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis withholding support pending DOJ’s inquiry into Powell’s renovation cost overruns. If Warsh isn’t confirmed by Powell’s May 15 term end, Powell says he’d serve pro tempore, while Trump has threatened to fire him, setting up what one analyst calls the most complex Fed chair confirmation in modern history and raising the possibility of a courtroom showdown as the process plays out.
President Donald Trump nominated Erica Schwartz, a career civil servant and former deputy surgeon general, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, labeling her an establishment pick with credentials from Brown University and the Coast Guard. He also named three others to CDC roles. The move comes amid vaccine-policy tensions and Kennedy Jr.’s nutrition agenda, with Schwartz expected to win Senate confirmation more easily than the prior vaccine-skeptic nominee, though some Kennedy supporters have criticized her vaccine-mandate record. If confirmed, she would replace acting CDC head Jay Bhattacharya after a year of leadership turmoil and morale strain at the agency.
President Donald Trump nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general and Coast Guard rear admiral, to lead the CDC, ending a months-long search. Schwartz must win Senate confirmation to take the job. She brings MD, JD, MPH credentials and a background in Navy and Public Health Service, and would replace acting director Jay Bhattacharya, whose tenure ended under the Vacancies Act after Susan Monarez’s brief tenure amid vaccine-policy clashes. The move comes amid ongoing public-health leadership turmoil and vaccine policy debates at the agency.
President Trump nominated Erica Schwartz to be the director of the CDC, a role that would require Senate confirmation as the agency faces leadership upheaval under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general with Coast Guard service, would take over as acting leadership terms and vaccine policy debates continue to shape the agency’s direction.
Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as the ninth Secretary of Homeland Security after bipartisan Senate confirmation and pledged to advance President Trump’s security goals, focusing on border security, deporting criminal illegal aliens, counterterrorism and cartel suppression, disaster response, and homeland protection, with broad cross‑party praise.
The US Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as the next Homeland Security secretary in a 54-45 vote; the Trump-aligned former congressman will oversee immigration enforcement, border protection, and airport security as DHS grapples with funding gaps and ongoing controversies after Kristi Noem’s removal.
The Senate approved Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin 54-45 to lead the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem, as DHS operations continue under a six-week shutdown that has left workers unpaid and stretched resources. Democrats insist funding must come with policy concessions on ICE and CBP before they’ll back the bill, while Mullin’s allies frame the confirmation as a test of his clout amid a politically charged security landscape.
The Senate approved Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a 54-45 vote, following the ouster of Kristi Noem amid criticism of immigration enforcement and spending. Mullin pledged a different leadership style, suggesting agents will need judicial warrants to enter homes or businesses. Democrats John Fetterman and Martin Heinrich supported him, while Rand Paul opposed. His confirmation comes as DHS faces a funding impasse and TSA staffing shortages, with Mullin expected to help lead talks; the vote also opens a Senate seat in Oklahoma to be filled by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Former GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz criticized Democrats and Republicans for asking softball questions during Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Homeland Security secretary confirmation hearing, calling the exchange an embarrassment and urging tougher grilling, while noting moments like Elissa Slotkin pressing Mullin on the 2020 election and a clash with Rand Paul.