Confirmed
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new cabinet is rapidly being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Those who have already been confirmed include:
- Marco Rubio as Secretary of State
- John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense (Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote)
- Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security
- Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury
- Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation
Those pending on the U.S. Senate calendar and expected to be voted on soon include:
- Doug Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Lee Zeldin to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Doug Burgum to be Secretary of Interior
- Christopher Wright to be Secretary of Energy
- Eric Turner to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Additionally, there are dozens of nominees for both cabinet and lower level positions still pending in committee, many of whom will receive votes in the full Senate in the coming weeks.
Analysis and eternal perspective: The President nominates, and the U.S. Senate confirms. It is a balance of power established in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution. A duly elected President chooses a preferred candidate for cabinet posts and a wide array of other senior positions in the U.S. government. A president makes these selections unilaterally, but they do not assume the role without “the Advice and Consent of the Senate.”
This process is largely a mirrored authority of the legislative power articulated in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to write the laws, and the President the authority to veto them. In the case of nominations, the President decides, and the U.S. Senate essentially has the authority to veto.
As Jesus followers, every government of men presents us with a unique opportunity. We are clearly instructed in scripture to:
- Be subject to governing authorities (Tit. 3:1, Rom. 13:1)
- Pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2)
- Work for the flourishing of your community (Jer. 29:4-7)
Let’s be intentional in fervently praying that these confirmed leaders would contribute to the flourishing of those under their authority, and may we as The Equipped family lead the way in working to better the reality of our neighbor!
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.