Administration Transition Tracker
Date Stamp: September 2022
Here you will find selected information about the President’s federal agency picks of interest to the ecological community along with details about the nomination confirmation process. This page is being continuously updated to include President Joe Biden’s picks.
ESA’s Public Affairs Office held a webinar Nov. 9, 2020 to preview the Biden administration’s first steps and the 2020 election results. See the webinar slides here and the webinar recording here.
Positions that require Senate Confirmation
All Cabinet-level officials, except the White House chief of staff, require Senate confirmation. The Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.
Around 1,200 senior posts and agency heads require Senate confirmation. Basically, agency heads and assistant secretaries need Senate confirmations, but adviser positions and other federal agency appointees from the president do not.
What Does the Confirmation Process Entail?
1) A nomination is given to the relevant Senate committee. The Foreign Relations Committee, for example, handles the secretary of state position.
2) That committee can then hold hearings, vote to move the nomination straight to the Senate floor for a vote or not move on it at all (in which case, the committee effectually kills the nomination).
3) After hearings, the committee votes to report a nomination to the full Senate, requiring a simple majority. It may vote to report the nomination favorably, unfavorably or without recommendation. If a committee sits on an appointment, the full Senate may vote to invoke cloture and move the nomination along.
4) If a nomination clears committee, it moves to the Senate floor for a simple majority vote. Filibusters do not apply here because Democrats changed Senate rules three years ago to eliminate the 60-vote threshold for most nominations. However, Supreme Court picks are still subject to the filibuster.
How Can You Watch the Hearings?
The confirmation hearings are broadcast live. You can find a link to watch them on the website for the specific Senate committee conducting the hearing, or this website shows the schedule of hearings with links to watch them live (click on the committee and the live feed should come up).
After the hearings have taken place, they will be available on the websites of the respective Senate committees.
Who in the cabinet is in line to succeed the president?
Article 2, Section 1, Clause 6, constitution of the United States: If the vice president cannot serve, the line of succession falls to the speaker of the House, then to the Senate president pro tempore, then to Cabinet members.
In order of succession to the Presidency:
Vice President of the United States
Kamala Harris, former Senator from California
Department of State
state.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Antony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State – CONFIRMED by 78-22 vote on Jan. 26, 2021
Senate Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/19/21; 2:00 P.M.
View the hearing online.
Assistant Secretary, Bureau and Oceans and International Environmental and Science Affairs
Nominee: Monica Medina, Former Deputy Undersecretary Of Commerce and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
Senate Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 7/13/21; 10:00 A.M – CONFIRMED by a 61-36 vote on Sept. 28, 2021
View the hearing online.
Department of the Treasury
treasury.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Janet Yellen, former Federal Reserve chair – CONFIRMED by 84-15 vote on Jan. 25, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Finance
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/19/21; 10:00 A.M.
View the hearing online here.
Department of Defense
defense.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin, former head of U.S. Central Command – CONFIRMED by 93-2 vote on Jan. 22, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Armed Services
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/19/21; 3:00 P.M.
View the hearing online here.
Department of Justice
usdoj.gov
Attorney General
Nominee: Merrick Garland, former chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals – CONFIRMED by 70-30 vote on March 10, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on the Judiciary
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/22/2021 and 2/23/2021; 9:30am
View the hearing here and here.
Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division
Nominee: Todd Kim, deputy general counsel for litigation, regulation and enforcement at the Energy Department – CONFIRMED by 58-41 vote on July 27, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on the Judiciary
Nomination Hearing Date: 4/13/2021; 10:00am.
View the hearing online here.
Department of the Interior
doi.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) – CONFIRMED by 50-40 vote on March 15, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/23/21; 9:30 am
View the hearing online here.
Deputy Secretary
Nominee: Tommy Beaudreau, former director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management – CONFIRMED by 88-9 vote on June 17, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 4/29/21; 10:00 am
View the hearing online here.
Assistant Secretary
Nominee: Laura Daniel-Davis, of Virginia- RENOMINATED in 118th Congress
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Assistant Secretary for Water & Science
Nominee: Tanya Trujillo, Colorado River expert – CONFIRMED by voice vote on June 17, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 5/18/2021; 10:00am
View the hearing online here.
Assistant Secretary, Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Nominee: Shannon Estenoz, former Everglades restoration official in the Obama administration – CONFIRMED by a voice vote on June 24, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resource and Committee on Environment and Public Works
Nominations Hearing Date: 5/12/2021 10:00am and 5/18/2021 at 10:00am
View the hearing online here and here.
Director, U.S. Geological Survey
Nominee: David Applegate, current USGS associate director for natural hazards – CONFIRMED by a voice vote on August 4, 2022.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 4/28/2022
View the hearing here.
Director, National Park Service
Nominee: Charles F. Sams, council member to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council – CONFIRMED by a voice vote on November 18, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 10/19/2021
View the hearing here.
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Nominee: Martha Williams, former director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks – CONFIRMED by a voice vote on February 17, 2022.
Senate Committee: Committee on Environment and Public Works
Nomination Hearing Date: 11/17/2021
Director, Bureau of Land Management
Nominee: Tracy Stone-Manning, senior official at the National Wildlife Federation – CONFIRMED by 50-45 Vote on August 30, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 6/8/2021 at 10:00am
View the hearing here.
(The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS), the United States Geological Service (USGS), and the National Park Service (NPS) are agencies within the U.S. Department of the Interior)
Department of Agriculture
usda.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Tom Vilsack, former Secretary of Agriculture – CONFIRMED by 92-7 vote on February 23, 2021
Senate Committee: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/2/2021 at 10:30am
View the hearing online here
Deputy Secretary
Nominee:
Senate Committee:
Nomination Hearing Date:
Other relevant Department of Agriculture nominations:
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment (oversees US Forest Service)
Nominee: Homer Wilkes, career Natural Resources Conservation Service official – CONFIRMED by voice vote on February 8, 2022.
Senate Committee: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Nomination Hearing Date: 8/5/2021 at 10:00am
View the hearing online here.
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics (oversees Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and others)
Nominee: Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Agricultural Research Service administrator – CONFIRMED by a 95-4 vote on June 7, 2022.
Senate Committee: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/12/2022 at 3:30pm
View the hearing online here.
Department of Commerce
commerce.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Gina Raimondo, former governor of Rhode Island – CONFIRMED by 84 to 15 vote on March 2, 2021.
Senate Committee: Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/26/2021, 10:00am
View the hearing online here.
Other relevant Department of Commerce nominations:
Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere (Principal adviser on environmental and scientific activities in the Department, #1 Post at NOAA)
Nominee: Dr. Richard Spinrad, a professor of oceanography at Oregon State University – CONFIRMED by voice vote on June 17, 2021.
Senate Committee: Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 5/20/2021; 10:00am.
View the hearing online here.
Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management/Deputy Administrator of NOAA
Nominee: Jainey Bavishi, director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency
Senate Committee: Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Nomination Hearing Date: 12/1/2021; 10:15am
View the hearing online here.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction
Nominee: Michael Morgan, professor of atmospheric and oceanic science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison – CONFIRMED by voice vote on July 14, 2022.
Senate Committee: Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Nomination Hearing Date: 6/08/2022
Department of Labor
dol.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Marty Walsh, mayor of Boston – CONFIRMED by 68-29 vote on March 22, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/4/2o21 at 10:00am
View the hearing here.
Department of Health and Human Services
hhs.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Xavier Becerra, California attorney general – CONFIRMED by 50-49 vote on March 18, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Committee on Finance (which actually votes on the nomination)
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/23/2021 and 3/3/2021
Department of Housing and Urban Development
hud.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) – CONFIRMED by 66-34 vote on March 10, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/4/2021 at 2:00pm
View the hearing here.
Department of Transportation
dot.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Pete Buttigieg, former presidential candidate and Mayor of South Bend, IN – CONFIRMED by 86-13 vote on Feb. 2, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/21/2021 at 10:00am
View the hearing here.
Department of Energy
energy.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan – CONFIRMED by 64-35 vote on Feb. 25, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/27/2021 at 9:30am
View the hearing here.
Other relevant Department of Energy nominations:
Deputy Secretary of Energy
Nominee: David Turk, former Obama administration official in the Energy and State Departments – CONFIRMED by 98-2 vote on March 24, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 3/4/2021 at 10:00 am.
View the hearing here.
Under Secretary for Science
Nominee: Geraldine Richmond, presidential chair in science and professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon – CONFIRMED by voice vote on November 4, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 8/3/2021 at 10:00 am.
View the hearing here.
Assistant Secretary of Energy (Environmental Management)
Nominee:
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Committee on Armed Services
Nomination Hearing Date:
Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil Energy)
Nominee:
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date:
Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability)
Nominee: Gene Rodrigues, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date:
Assistant Secretary of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)
Nominee: Jeffrey Matthew Marootian, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy – RENOMINATED in 118th Congress
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date:
Assistant Secretary of Energy (Nuclear Energy)
Nominee: Kathryn Huff, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy – CONFIRMED by 80-11 vote on May 5, 2022.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date:
Director, Office of Science
Nominee: Asmeret Berhe, interim associate dean for graduate education at the University of California, Merced – CONFIRMED by 54-45 vote on May 10, 2022.
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date: 8/3/2021 at 10:00 am.
View the hearing here.
Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)
Nominee:
Senate Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Nomination Hearing Date:
(There are 21 Department of Energy labs and technology centers located across the US.)
Department of Education
ed.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Miguel Cardona, Connecticut commissioner of education – CONFIRMED by 64-33 vote on March 1, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/3/2021; 10:00 A.M.
View the hearing here.
Department of Veterans Affairs
va.gov
Secretary:
Nominee: Denis McDonough, former White House Chief of Staff – CONFIRMED by 87-7 vote on February 8, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/27/2021.
Department of Homeland Security
dhs.gov
Secretary
Nominee: Alejandro Mayorkas, former deputy secretary of homeland security – CONFIRMED by 56-43 vote on Feb. 2, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Nomination Hearing Date: 1/19/2021; 10 A.M.
View the hearing online here.
The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
White House Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff: Ron Klain, former Chief of Staff for Biden as Vice President
Environmental Protection Agency
epa.gov
Administrator
Nominee: Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality – CONFIRMED by 66-34 vote on March 10, 2021
Senate Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 2/3/2021; 2:00 P.M
View the hearing online here.
Deputy Administrator
Nominee: Janet McCabe – CONFIRMED by 52-42 vote on April 27, 2021
Senate Committee: Environment and Public Works Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 3/3/2021; 10:00 A.M.
View the hearing online here.
Assistant Administrator
Nominee: David M. Uhlmann, of Michigan – RENOMINATED in 118th Congress
Senate Committee: Environment and Public Works Committee
Nomination Hearing Date:
Assistant Administrator for Water
Nominee: Radhika Fox, former CEO of the U.S. Water Alliance – CONFIRMED by 55-43 vote on June 16, 2021.
Senate Committee: Environment and Public Works Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 5/12/2021; 10:00 A.M.
View the hearing online here.
Assistant Administrator for Research & Development
Nominee: Christopher Frey – CONFIRMED by 51-43 vote on May 25, 2022.
Senate Committee: Environment and Public Works Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: 10/27/2021; 10:00 A.M.
View the hearing online here.
(Other selected positions requiring Senate confirmation: Assistant Administrator for Research & Development)
Office of Management & Budget
whitehouse.gov/omb
Director
Nominee: Shalanda Young, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget – CONFIRMED by 63-37 vote on March 23, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on the Budget and Committee on Homeland and Government Affairs
Hearing Date:
United States Trade Representative
ustr.gov
Ambassador
Nominee: Katherine Tai – CONFIRMED by 98-0 vote on March 17, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Finance
United States Mission to the United Nations
usun.state.gov
Ambassador
Nominee: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former ambassador to Liberia and career Foreign Service member – CONFIRMED by 78-21 vote on Feb. 23, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Foreign Relations
Hearing Date: 1/27/2021.
Council of Economic Advisers
whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea
Chairman
Nominee: Cecilia Rouse, Princeton University labor economist – CONFIRMED by 95-4 vote on March 2, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Hearing Date: 2/4/2021 at 2:00pm
View the hearing online here.
Small Business Administration
sba.gov
Administrator
Nominee: Dilawar Syed, of California, to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Senate Committee: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Hearing Date:
Office of Science Technology and Policy
ostp.gov
Director
Nominee: Arati Prabhakar, former director of NIST and DARPA – CONFIRMED by 56-40 on September 22, 2022.
Senate Committee: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Hearing Date:
Usually, the president’s science advisor is both the OSTP director and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, a title that gives the advisor additional access to the president.
The following positions are in the Executive Office of the President:
Council on Environmental Quality
whitehouse.gov/ceq
Director
Nominee: Brenda Mallory, former CEQ attorney – CONFIRMED by 53 to 45 vote on April 14, 2021
Senate Committee: Committee on Environment and Public Works
Hearing date: 3/3/2021; 10:00 AM
View hearing online here.
View the White House Release here.
National Security Council
whitehouse.gov/nsc/
Climate Envoy: John Kerry, former Secretary of State and Senator
(This position does not require Senate confirmation.)
White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy
Director, Gina McCarthy, former EPA administrator
(This position does not require Senate confirmation.)
Other Selected Agencies of Interest to the Ecological Community:
(These agency heads are not in the president’s cabinet.)
NASA
nasa.gov
Administrator
Nominee: Bill Nelson, former congressman and three-term US senator from Florida – CONFIRMED by unanimous vote on April 29, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Nomination Hearing Date: 4/21/2021, 10:00 AM
View the live hearing here.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
nist.gov
Director
Nominee: Patrick Gallagher, of Maryland, to be Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology – CONFIRMED by voice vote on November 5, 2009.
Senate Committee: Commerce, Science, and Transportation
National Science Foundation
nsf.gov
Director
Nominee: Dr. Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, former member of the National Science Board and Executive Vice President, Arizona State University Executive Knowledge Enterprise Development – CONFIRMED by voice vote on June 20, 2020.
Senate Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: N/A
Deputy Director
Nominee: Vacant.
Senate Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Nomination Hearing Date: N/A
Historically, the agency has been allowed substantial political independence. The director serves at the pleasure of the president and is appointed to a six-year term. France Cordova began her tenure in 2014 and served until March 31, 2020. The director is subject to Senate confirmation. The National Science Board, NSF’s governing board is composed of 23 members (8 set to expire in 2018) who are appointed for six-year terms and do not require Senate confirmation.
USAID
usaid.gov
Administrator
Nominee: Samantha Power, former US ambassador to the United Nations – CONFIRMED by 68-26 vote on April 29, 2021.
Senate Committee: Committee on Foreign Relations
Hearing Date: 3/23/2021