21 January 2009
Senate Confirms Group of Obama’s Cabinet Picks
Clinton’s nomination for secretary of state confirmed after delay
Washington — In one of his first official acts after being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Obama signed papers formally nominating his Cabinet selections and other top advisers. The U.S. Senate subsequently convened and confirmed seven of his 25 nominations.
Immediately after his January 20 inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Obama entered the building and signed the first documents of his administration: his Cabinet and sub-Cabinet nominations, and a proclamation that declared the day of his swearing-in as a “National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation.”
As he signed the documents before television cameras, Obama joked, “I'm a lefty. Get used to it," and added, “I was told not to swipe the pen."
After a luncheon with the president and Vice President Joe Biden at the Capitol, the Senate convened and confirmed Arne Duncan as secretary of education, Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security, Peter Orszag as director of the Office of Management and Budget, Steven Chu as secretary of energy, Thomas J. Vilsack as secretary of agriculture, Kenneth Salazar as secretary of the interior and Eric Shinseki as secretary of veterans affairs.
President Obama’s choice for secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was scheduled to be confirmed January 20, but Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas asked for a one-day delay so senators could discuss the finances of a charity organization founded by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Following a January 21 debate, Clinton was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate by a 94-2 vote.
Although President Obama announced his Cabinet choices in the weeks following his November 4, 2008, election victory, he could not formally nominate any of them until he was officially sworn in as president.
Senate committees have held hearings to interview Obama’s choices and recommend their confirmation to the full Senate. No Cabinet official could be confirmed by the Senate until the newly sworn-in president formally nominated them. (See “Confirmation Hearings Begin on Obama’s Top Advisers.”)
For a list of Obama’s top advisers, see “The Cabinet.”
