South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has accepted Donald Trump’s offer to be his ambassador to the United Nations. She is the first woman Trump has tapped to his cabinet, and would add diversity as a woman and the daughter of immigrants from India. A rising star in the GOP, she is the first woman to hold the Governor’s office in South Carolina. Haley served three terms in South Carolina’s State House before winning the governorship in 2010 and again in 2014. Haley’s limited foreign policy experience is likely to draw scrutiny during Senate confirmation hearings for the Cabinet-level position.
Author: McKinzie Strait
Trump’s First Cabinet Picks Announced
The Trump transition team has announced it’s first picks for the cabinet.
National Security Advisor: Michael Flynn, Retired General – Flynn served as one of the Trump’s top confidants during the campaign, joining him during some of his early intelligence briefings. Flynn gained a reputation as a skilled but combative intelligence officer during his 33-year career. However, he was forced out as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. He’s expected to bring an aggressive posture to foreign policy matters, and is known for his hardline views on Islam.
Attorney General: Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) – Senator Sessions was one of Trump’s earliest supporters and served as an advisor on the campaign trail. He was first elected to the Senate in 1996, prior to which he was a U.S. Attorney in Mobile, Alabama, and Alabama Attorney General. He is known for his hardline views on immigration and his appointment has been criticized by some because his nomination to become a federal judge was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee some thirty years ago due to racially charged comments and actions.
CIA Director: Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) – Pompeo serves on the House Intelligence and Benghazi committees. Prior to his election to Congress in 2010, he was an executive in the aerospace and oil industries. He served in the Army for five years and has degrees from Harvard Law and West Point.
Trump is headed out to his golf course in Bedminster, NJ, for the weekend. He is expected to meet with Mitt Romney, education reform leaders Michelle Rhee and Betsy DeVos, and a number of other individuals. Next week, we expect the transition team to announce picks for Treasury, Commerce, US Trade Representative, Small Business Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and Social Security Administration.
Rep. Foxx Discusses Priorities for 115th Congress
Today Inside Higher Ed published an exclusive Q&A with North Carolina’s Rep. Virginia Foxx, who is expected to chair the House Education & Workforce Committee in the 115th Congress. Foxx, who says she has already been in touch with the President-Elect’s transition team, is likely to be in favor of rolling back regulations put in place by the Obama Administration. Specific regulations that could be rolled back by the Republicans include those related to for-profit colleges, teacher prep programs, and a host of others related to labor, the environment, and other policy areas. Read the full Q&A here.
NDAA Update: One Step Closer to Finalized
Yesterday, armed services leaders from the House and the Senate took a significant step forward in wrapping up the 2017 National Defense Authorization. While negotiations are still underway, committee leadership reportedly agreed upon adding around $9 billion to the Pentagon budget to fund wars and fill readiness shortfalls. Since the negotiations are highly sensitive, they are done in secret so Politico and Defense News reports on the ongoing negotiations are not confirmed.
The House and Senate versions of the NDAA were $18 billion apart after the House added that amount to the $610 billion Pentagon request. Thus, $9 billion is a compromise between the two chambers. It is worth noting that, according to Politico, the measure will halt the drawdown of troops in FY 2017.
More info from Defense News here.
115th Congress Senate Democratic Leadership & Committees
Today Senate Democrats held leadership elections, placing some familiar faces in new roles within the caucus. New York’s Senator Chuck Schumer will take the helm as Minority Leader, a position vacated by Harry Reid (NV) following his retirement at the end of the 114th Congress. Minority Whip goes to Illinois’ Senator Richard Durbin and our own Senator Patty Murray (WA) will take on the role of Assistant Leader, making her the third highest ranking person within the Senate Democratic hierarchy. (Congrats Senator Murray!!) Also of note, Senator Schumer expanded the leadership team to include Senator Bernie Sanders, who will assume the new role of Chair of Outreach.
Sanders will also assume the Ranking Minority role on the Committee on Budget. Senator Murray will remain Ranking Minority on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Senator Maria Cantwell remains Ranking Minority on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee. Here is a list of all Leadership and Committee positions for the 115th Congress.
The Senate Democratic Leadership for the 115th Congress:
Senate Democratic Leader and Chair of the Conference: Senator Charles Schumer
Democratic Whip: Senator Dick Durbin
Assistant Democratic Leader: Senator Patty Murray
Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee: Senator Debbie Stabenow
Vice Chair of the Conference: Senator Elizabeth Warren
Vice Chair of the Conference: Senator Mark Warner
Chair of Steering Committee: Senator Amy Klobuchar
Chair of Outreach: Senator Bernie Sanders
Vice Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee: Senator Joe Manchin
Senate Democratic Conference Secretary: Senator Tammy Baldwin
The committee ranking members for the 115th Congress:
Agriculture: Senator Debbie Stabenow
Armed Services: Senator Jack Reed
Appropriations: Senator Patrick Leahy
Banking: Senator Sherrod Brown
Budget: Senator Bernie Sanders
Commerce: Senator Bill Nelson
Energy: Senator Maria Cantwell
EPW: Senator Tom Carper
Finance: Senator Ron Wyden
Foreign Relations: Senator Ben Cardin
HELP: Senator Patty Murray
HSGAC: Senator Claire McCaskill
Indian Affairs: Senator Tom Udall
Judiciary: Senator Dianne Feinstein
Rules: Senator Amy Klobuchar
Small Business: Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Veterans Affairs: Senator Jon Tester
Aging: Senator Bob Casey
Ethics: Senator Chris Coons
Intelligence: Senator Mark Warner
JEC: Senator Martin Heinrich