Joe Biden will begin his Presidency with a Cabinet made up mostly of Acting Officials as Delays in the Senate Slow Confirmation of his Top Choices for Key Positions including the Secretaries of Defense and Treasury.
Senators have set Jan. 19th, the day before Biden is sworn in, for Hearings on his Nominees for Homeland Security, Defense, State, and Treasury, Four Key Posts that are often targeted for Confirmation just hours after a President in sworn in. But they might Not be Confirmed and able to start work for days or even weeks later.
The House’s expected Impeachment of Trump may also affect the Senate’s Timeline. House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, said late Tuesday that the Impeachment Article would be sent over to the Senate Quickly, adding a Trial to the Upper Chamber’s Agenda. Some think they should send after 100 days so Biden can Implement his Covid-19 Plans. Biden suggested the Sente could split their day with Half on Confimation and Half on Impeachment.
Biden began announcing his Cabinet Nominees shortly after the November Election, and introduced each Person with a Pledge that they would be ready to work on “day one.”
Republicans will remain in Control of Senate Committees until Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is Inaugurated on Jan. 20th.
Biden will have to Appoint Acting Heads of Agencies while awaiting his Nominees to be Confirmed. In many cases he will turn to Senior Career Officials to Temporarily Lead Agencies, will last for 90 days, before they have to be Renomated. In a few instances the Biden Team has Identified Trump Political Appointees to take on Interim Roles, after determining that they Share the New Administration’s Values. Another Option, Senate-Confirmed Democratic Members of Commissions could take on Acting Roles Leading those Agencies until Biden’s Selections are Confirmed.
Andy Baukol, a longtime Civil Servant and now a Principal Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary, is likely to become Acting Treasury Secretary.
Any of those Options would put Placeholders in Critical Departments, who are less likely to take the Dramatic Actions Biden has Promised would get under way immediately.
The Senate will set Hearing Dates for: Homeland Security Nominee Alejandro Mayorkas; Treasury Nominee Janet Yellen; State Nominee Anthony Blinken; and Defense Nominee Lloyd Austin, suggests the Senate heeded Biden’s calls to get Critical Posts Confirmed quickly. “It’s my expectation and hope that the Senate will now move to confirm these nominees promptly and fairly,” Biden said. “I nominated them back in November,” he said. “Given what our country has been through the last four years, the last few days, given the threats and the risks in this world, they should be confirmed as close to Jan. 20 as possible.”
Biden’s Team continues to make a heavy push on those Nominees, particularly Homeland Security, a Transition Official said. The President’s argument is that Mayorkas’s Confirmation, in particular, would Signal the Senate’s Recognition of Threats both from Overseas, like the Massive Cyberattack widely blamed on Russia, and from within the U.S., like the Mob that Attacked the Capitol.
Besides the Normal Confirmation Hearings, Austin also faces a House Hearing to Waive the Rules regarding a Former Military Officer becoming a Civilian Head of the Defense Department. The House Armed Services Committee has scheduled a Jan. 21st Hearing on the Waiver. The Retired Four-Star General has been out of Uniform for Fewer than the Required Seven years to Lead the Defense Department. He also faces some Opposition because of his Recent Work on behalf of Raytheon Technologies Corp., a Defense Contractor.
After the House’s Votes to Impeach Trump over last week’s Attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Senate must begin a Trial that takes Precedence over All other Business unless All 100 Senators agree other Business can also be Conducted. The Chamber, with a simple Majority, can also Set the Rules for a Trial and how Long it would last.
Mayorkas’s Hearing could be the Most Contentious, given his work under Obama to fashion the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, which many Republicans Oppose.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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