Track Obama's Cabinet Nominees

Barack Obama began vetting his choices for a Cabinet before he was even elected; his first announcement came just days after Nov. 4. In the past, nearly all Cabinet nominees have been confirmed, and with a Democratic Senate, it's unlikely any of his choices will be rejected. Still, nominees such as Eric H. Holder as attorney general, or Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of State did see some tough questions. Others ran into problems before facing a full Senate vote.

Senate committees with special jurisdiction over each position hold hearings to assess the merits of each nominee before voting to confirm. If the committee approves the nomination it is sent to the full Senate for a full vote.

The Senate may choose not to confirm a nominee in a few ways. Committee members may vote against a nominee or indefinitely drag out hearings -- though rarely, a nominee may still proceed to the full Senate. The full Senate may vote against the nominee. Or, a senator or senators may filibuster to block the confirmation

• Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Known for his sharp skills winning political ways, Gates also offers the benefit of continuity in wartime. For Obama, Gates would send a signal of bipartisanship at a time when the "global war on terrorism" has become increasingly charged with politics — just as former GOP Sen. William S. Cohen of Maine was picked by Democrat Bill Clinton in his second term to run the Pentagon and smooth frayed relations with Capitol Hill.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Current Defense Secretary Status: confirmed Announced on 12/01/08				Current Secretaries don't need to be reconfirmed.
  More news: With Gates Returning to Defense, Continuity Could Bring Some Conflicts

• EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson Lisa P. Jackson, Obama's choice for EPA administrator, would be the first African-American to lead the agency. Jackson has worked in environmental policy for two decades, most recently as the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection in New Jersey, a state known for its plethora of toxic waste sites. Jackson was originally a supporter of Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination but was named in November as a key member of Obama's transition team on environmental matters. She would bring to the job 16 years of experience at EPA itself, in programs such as those handling enforcement cases and Superfund hazardous waste sites. She has a master's degree in chemical engineering from Princeton. In introducing Jackson, Obama cited her experience throughout her career at EPA and in New Jersey, saying she "helped make her state a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing new sources of energy, and she has the talent and experience to continue this effort at the EPA."	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey Status: confirmed Announced on 12/12/08	Environment and Public Works hearing on 01/14/09.	No vote yet	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/22/09
  More news: Confirmation of EPA Administrator Delayed by Barrasso

• Education Secretary Arne Duncan A friend, adviser and basketball-playing buddy of Obama's, Duncan has been a supporter of charter schools — a traditionally Republican position that could make his Senate confirmation a breeze. He has made "some steady progress, not huge progress" improving Chicago's schools since he was appointed leader of the system seven years ago, says Michael Petrilli, a vice president at the Fordham Foundation, a conservative education think tank.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools Status: confirmed Announced on 12/16/08	Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on 01/13/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Duncan Vows Focus on Early Childhood Education, Innovation

• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Vilsack, a Democrat, is closely allied with fellow Iowan Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate committee that will hold confirmation hearings for the next secretary. Environmentalists and rural community advocates said the appointment indicates a commitment to rural development and conservation not seen in decades. Vilsack is a strong supporter of ethanol as an energy source and of legislation to combat global warming, and he generally gets good grades from environmentalists. The new secretary in 2009 will assist in reauthorization of the law that governs school lunches and other child nutrition programs. Vilsack has backed controversial limits on the types of snacks and beverages sold to students outside the lunch line -- so called "competitive foods." Nutrition activists want junk food out of schools altogether, but many schools use the revenue from sales to help cover the rising costs of meal services. Vilsack is an attorney with the firm Dorsey & Whitney and is a resident fall fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Former Iowa governor Status: confirmed Announced on 12/17/08	Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry hearing on 01/14/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Seven Obama Nominees, With Clinton Vote Next

• Energy Secretary Steven Chu Co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize, Chu is director of the Energy Department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is considered one of the most prestigious scientific institutions in the world. Chu's background is in atomic particle physics, which gives him the expertise to oversee Energy's chief portfolio, managing the nation's nuclear weapons and nuclear science programs. However, in recent years, Chu has shifted his focus to the study of climate science and renewable and alternative energy research, which also positions him to lead the department in implementing Obama's sweeping and ambitious energy and climate change proposals, aimed at curbing CO2 emissions and transforming the U.S. fossil-fuel based economy. Since Chu became director of the Berkeley lab in 2004, he has initiated several new programs aimed at researching and developing alternative and renewable energy.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Director of the Energy Department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Status: confirmed Announced on 12/10/08	Energy and Natural Resources hearing on 01/13/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Seven Obama Nominees, With Clinton Vote Next

• Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Napolitano offers bipartisan appeal, executive experience and an expertise in border security. (Arizona is the state with the second-longest border with Mexico, after Texas.) Centrist policies earned her popularity at home, and she gained national prominence with a leading role in the immigration debate. Under her watch, Arizona was the first state to develop its own homeland security strategy, in 2003. She was the state's chief federal prosecutor and attorney general before becoming governor.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Governor of Arizona Status: confirmed Announced on 12/01/08	Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on 01/15/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Seven Obama Nominees, With Clinton Vote Next

• Interior Secretary Ken Salazar With deep family roots in the mountain West, Salazar has spent his career working on public lands issues that are of high importance in his home state. He has worked as a lawyer specializing in water and resources issues, and he has led Colorado's Department of Natural Resources. Since he joined the Senate in 2004, he has been known as a moderate who is sensitive to his state's independent-minded voters. These qualities could help him lead an Interior Department that oversees Western landowners who tend to be skeptical of the federal government. As President Bush opened vast areas in Colorado to oil and gas drilling, Salazar has looked for a middle ground in the controversies over resource extraction on public lands. He opposed Bush's efforts to begin a leasing program for oil shale in the Rocky Mountains, saying the technology for this type of oil production isn’t ready yet.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Senator from Colorado Status: confirmed CQPolitics profile Announced on 12/17/08	Energy and Natural Resources hearing on 01/15/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Seven Obama Nominees, With Clinton Vote Next

• Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki If confirmed as the seventh VA secretary, Shinseki promises to overhaul the bureaucracy to preserve veterans' benefits during the transition from military to civilian life, but he will inherit difficult circumstances. Veterans returning home from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, some with undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, are also facing job and economic insecurity. The first Asian-American four-star general, and the first head a branch of the armed forces, Shinseki won two Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars during a pair of combat tours in Vietnam, when he lost half of one foot in a landmine explosion. But Shinseki is far more famous for telling the Senate, just before the Iraq War started in 2003, that the United States would need far more troops than planned for the invasion. His testimony heightened simmering tensions with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Shinseki left the Army that June after four years as Army chief of staff.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Former Army chief of staff Status: confirmed Announced on 12/07/08	Veterans' Affairs hearing on 01/14/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Seven Obama Nominees, With Clinton Vote Next

• Office of Management & Budget Director Peter R. Orszag A month after his 38th birthday, Orszag took over CBO in January 2007 after stints at the Brookings Institution and at the Clinton administration's National Economic Council and as senior economist on the Council of Economic Advisers. Almost two years later he remains well respected by both parties as a serious economist who has ramped up the CBO's understanding of rising health care costs.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Congressional Budget Office director Status: confirmed Announced on 11/25/08	Budget hearing on 01/13/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/20/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Seven Obama Nominees, With Clinton Vote Next

• Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton As the first lady for eight years and as a top-tier 2008 candidate for president, Clinton is arguably the most widely recognized American woman in the world. Traveling with President Bill Clinton and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee the past five years, she has visited more than 80 countries and built personal relations with dozens of foreign leaders. If confirmed she would bring to the State Department a willingness to punctuate diplomacy with the use of force, as demonstrated by her 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq War. She also holds progressive views on energy and global warming issues. But Clinton’s strong pro-Israeli credentials could complicate any U.S. efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict and tensions with Iran. Moreover, her ability to negotiate international agreements is untested and will depend on the perception of her closeness with Obama, her rival for the Democratic nomination this year. And her husband's global post-presidential business endeavors could complicate her new assignment.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Senator from New York Status: confirmed CQPolitics profile Announced on 12/01/08	Foreign Relations hearing on 01/13/09.	16-1 in favor	94-2 in favor Vote held on 01/21/09
  More news: Clinton Confirmed as Secretary of State

• Housing & Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan Donovan, a former Clinton administration housing official, has built a career on promoting federally assisted affordable housing programs. Since 2004, he has been running New York City's ambitious affordable housing development effort. He also has a strong background in the federal housing finance programs that are gaining importance at a time when the broader U.S. economy hinges on the health of the housing market. As commissioner of New York's Department of Housing Preservation and Development in the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Donovan has been in charge of a $7.5 billion effort to provide affordable housing for 500,000 city residents. Prior to that, he managed Federal Housing Administration lending and affordable housing investments at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company. Donovan, 42, served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing in the Clinton administration, running HUD programs that provide subsidies for low-income families to live in privately owned apartment buildings. Donovan's appointment signals that Obama will continue the emphasis on home ownership for low-income Americans that has been a central tenet of the Bush administration's housing policy.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Former Comissioner of Housing Preservation and Development in New York City Status: confirmed Announced on 12/13/08	Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hearing on 01/13/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/22/09
  More news: Senate Confirms as HUD Secretary

• Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood LaHood, a centrist Republican congressman from Illinois, has not been deeply involved in transportation issues, but was chosen for his ability to work across the aisle. He was one of three members of the big 1994 Republican freshman class not to sign the GOP's "Contract with America." For years, he organized bipartisan 'civility' retreats to try to create personal bonds between members of the often warring parties. He did serve on the House Transportation committee in the 1990s. His supporters say his institutional knowledge of Capitol Hill coupled with his recent experience on the Appropriations Committee will make him an effective liaison between the White House and Congress on infrastructure investment, which Obama has indicated is a priority.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Republican U.S. Representative from Illinois Status: confirmed Announced on 12/19/08	Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on 01/21/09.	No vote taken	confirmed by voice vote Vote held on 01/22/09
  More news: Senate Confirms LaHood as Transportation Secretary

• Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner After Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Paulson, no government official has been as deeply involved in the government's response to the credit crunch as Geithner, who has run the Fed's operations in New York for the past five years and serves as vice chairman of the committee that sets interest rates. Geithner also has deep background at the Treasury: He was undersecretary for international affairs during the final two years of the Clinton administration, then worked at the International Monetary Fund.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Status: confirmed Announced on 11/24/08	Finance hearing on 01/21/09.	18-5 in favor	60-34 in favor Vote held on 01/26/09
  More news: Geithner Sworn In as Treasury Secretary

• Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. Holder went to work at the Justice Department straight out of Columbia Law School in 1976, prosecuting public corruption cases. Ronald Reagan made him a trial court judge in Washington in 1988. Bill Clinton made him the capital city's top federal prosecutor in 1993, and from 1997 until the end of the Clinton administration Holder was deputy attorney general, the No. 2 job at the Justice Department.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Partner at Covington and Burling Status: confirmed Announced on 12/01/08	Judiciary hearing on 01/15/08.	17-2 in favor	75-21 in favor Vote held on 02/02/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Holder as Attorney General

• Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis Hilda Solis, a California congresswoman first elected in 2000, is the daughter of a factory worker who organized immigrant colleagues for the Teamsters Union and pressed for better health benefits. She served on the House Education and Labor Committee early in her congressional career. In the 110th Congress, she was known as an advocate for environmental protection, serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Natural Resources Committee and Select Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee. Before she was elected to Congress, Solis served in the California legislature as the first Hispanic woman elected to the California Senate. She worked in Washington in the Carter White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and was later appointed as a management analyst with the Office of Management and Budget in the Civil Rights Division.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Democratic U.S. Representative from California Status: confirmed CQPolitics profile Announced on 12/19/08	Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on 01/09/09.	Voice vote in favor	80-17 in favor Vote held on 02/24/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Solis as Labor Secretary Despite GOP Concerns

• U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk is a pro-business Democrat with deep Texas roots. Beyond support for the 2000 law normalizing trade relations with China, Kirk's broader views on trade policy are relatively unknown, even to trade observers. But it appears that the longtime aide to former senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas, would be another economic pragmatist in an emerging Cabinet full of them. John Murphy, vice president for international affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, notes that while serving as Dallas' first African-American mayor from 1995-2001, Kirk worked closely with Dallas firms to "take advantage of trade opportunities."	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Former mayor of Dallas Status: confirmed Announced on 12/19/08	Senate Finance hearing on 03/09/09.	Voice vote, an absent Bunning requested a dissenting vote be recorded for him. in favor	92-5 in favor Vote held on 03/18/09
  More news: Senate Confirms Kirk as Trade Representative

• Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Locke, the former Democratic governor of Washington and the only Chinese-American so far to serve as the governor of a state, has a long resume on China trade, energy and technology policy. He is currently a partner at the Seattle office of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, where his specialties include China and energy practices.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Former governor of Washington Status: confirmed Announced on 02/23/09	Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on 03/18/09.	25-0 in favor	unanimous consent in favor Vote held on 03/24/08
  More news: Senate Panel Approves Locke Nomination for Commerce

• Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius is a two-term governor of Kansas, elected first in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, and the second female governor of the state. She was elected the state insurance commissioner in 1994 — the first Democratic victory in more than 10 years. Credited with bringing the agency out from under the influence of the insurance industry, she refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer. Sebelius comes from a long line of state politicians and is the daughter of former Ohio Gov. John J. Gilligan; they became the first father/daughter governor pair in the United States after her election.	Committee hearing	Committee vote	Floor vote	Confirmed
  Gov. of Kansas Status: confirmed Announced on 03/17/09	Senate Finance hearing on 04/02/09.	15-8 in favor
  More news: Senate Panel Approves Sebelius Nomination for HHS