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Confirmation process for Tom Vilsack for secretary of agriculture

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President-elect Joe Biden (D) announced he would nominate Tom Vilsack to serve as secretary of agriculture in his administration on December 10, 2020.[1] This presidential appointment required Senate confirmation. Vilsack previously served as secretary of agriculture in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2017.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held Vilsack's confirmation hearing on February 2, 2021. The committee unanimously advanced his nomination to a full Senate vote. The Senate confirmed Vilsack on February 23, 2021, by a vote of 92-7.

The Biden Transition said of his nomination, "With an estimated one-in-six Americans and a quarter of U.S. children facing a hunger crisis, farmers reeling, and rural communities struggling to weather the pain and economic fallout of the pandemic, Vilsack will bring the experience and bold thinking needed to deliver immediate relief to farmers, ranchers, producers and families all across the country. Vilsack is committed to ensuring the USDA promotes true equity and inclusion in every mission it has."[2]

This page includes the following information about the confirmation process:

Confirmation process

See also: Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

Confirmation vote roll call

Vilsack was confirmed on February 23, 2021, by a vote of 92-7.[3]

Summary of Senate vote on Tom Vilsack's nomination for secretary of agriculture (February 23, 2021)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 47 0 1
Republican Party Republicans 44 6 0
Grey.png Independents 1 1 0
Totals 92 7 1


Six Republican senators and one independent voted against his confirmation:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also voted against Vilsack's nomination, marking the first time a Democrat or independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed a Biden nominee.

Click on the following table to view the full roll call.

Senate confirmation hearing

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held Vilsack's confirmation hearing on February 2, 2021.

Tom Vilsack's Senate confirmation hearing, February 2, 2021

Financial disclosures

The Office of Government Ethics released Vilsack's financial disclosures in January 2021. Click here to review them.

About the nominee

Vilsack was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 1950. He graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in 1972 and Albany Law School in 1975. He worked at a private law firm before starting his career in politics.[4][5]

Below is an abbreviated outline of Vilsack's academic, professional, and political career:[4][5][6]

  • 2017-2021: President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council
  • 2009-2017: U.S. secretary of agriculture
  • 2007-2008: Managing partner for the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney
  • 2006-2007: Candidate for Democratic presidential nomination
  • 1999-2007: Governor of Iowa
  • 2004: Chair of the Democratic Governors Association
  • 1992-1999: Member of the Iowa State Senate, Iowa's 49th District
  • 1987-1992: Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa
  • 1975-1998: Lawyer in private practice
  • 1975: Earned J.D. from Albany Law School
  • 1972: Graduated from Hamilton College

About the confirmation process

See also: Appointment confirmation process

The confirmation process includes several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy. Supporters and opponents of the nominee may also testify.[7]

Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation. The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.[8]

Other Biden Cabinet nominees

See also: Joe Biden's Cabinet and Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

The following table provides an overview of the confirmation hearings and committee and Senate votes for each of Biden's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees.

Overview of confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees
Nominee Position Announced Senate committee Confirmation hearing Committee vote Senate vote Status
Tony Blinken Secretary of State November 23, 2020 Foreign Relations January 19, 2021 Favorable (15-3) 78-22 Confirmed on January 26, 2021
Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury November 30, 2020 Finance January 19, 2021 Favorable (26-0) 84-15 Confirmed on January 25, 2021
Lloyd Austin Secretary of Defense December 8, 2020 Armed Services January 19, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) 93-2 Confirmed on January 22, 2021
Merrick Garland Attorney General January 7, 2021 Judiciary February 22-23, 2021 Favorable (15-7) 70-30 Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Debra Haaland Secretary of the Interior December 17, 2020 Energy and Natural Resources February 23-24, 2021 Favorable (11-9) 51-40 Confirmed on March 15, 2021
Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture December 10, 2020 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry February 2, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) 92-7 Confirmed on February 23, 2021
Gina Raimondo Secretary of Commerce January 7, 2021 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 26, 2021 Favorable (21-3) 84-15 Confirmed on March 2, 2021
Marty Walsh Secretary of Labor January 7, 2021 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 4, 2021 Favorable (18-4) 68-29 Confirmed on March 22, 2021
Julie Su Secretary of Labor February 28, 2023 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions April 20, 2023 Favorable (11-10) N/A No vote taken
Xavier Becerra Secretary of Health and Human Services December 7, 2020 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance		 February 23, 2021 / February 24, 2021 No recommendation (14-14) 50-49 Confirmed on March 18, 2021
Marcia Fudge Secretary of Housing and Urban Development December 10, 2020 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs January 28, 2021 Favorable (17-7) 66-34 Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation December 15, 2020 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 21, 2021 Favorable (21-3) 86-13 Confirmed on February 2, 2021
Jennifer Granholm Secretary of Energy December 17, 2020 Energy and Natural Resources January 27, 2021 Favorable (13-4) 64-35 Confirmed on February 25, 2021
Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education December 22, 2020 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 3, 2021 Favorable (17-5) 64-33 Confirmed on March 1, 2021
Denis McDonough Secretary of Veterans Affairs December 10, 2020 Veterans' Affairs January 27, 2021 Favorable (Unanimous) 87-7 Confirmed on February 8, 2021
Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security November 23, 2020 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs January 19, 2021 Favorable (7-4) 56-43 Confirmed on February 2, 2021
Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative December 10, 2020 Finance February 25, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) 98-0 Confirmed on March 17, 2021
Avril Haines Director of National Intelligence November 23, 2020 Intelligence (Select) January 19, 2021 N/A[9] 84-10 Confirmed on January 20, 2021
Linda Thomas-Greenfield U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations November 23, 2020 Foreign Relations January 27, 2021 Favorable (18-4) 78-20 Confirmed on February 23, 2021
Cecilia Rouse Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers November 30, 2020 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs January 28, 2021 Favorable (24-0) 95-4 Confirmed on March 2, 2021
Jared Bernstein Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers February 14, 2023 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs April 18, 2023 Favorable (12-11) 50-49 Confirmed on June 13, 2023
Neera Tanden Director of the Office of Management and Budget November 30, 2020 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget February 9, 2021 / February 10, 2021 N/A N/A Withdrawn on March 2, 2021
Shalanda Young Director of the Office of Management and Budget November 24, 2021 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget February 1, 2022 / February 1, 2022 Favorable (7-6) / Favorable (15-6) 61-36 Confirmed on March 15, 2022
Michael Regan Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency December 17, 2020 Environment and Public Works February 3, 2021 Favorable (14-6) 66-34 Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Isabel Guzman Administrator of the Small Business Administration January 7, 2021 Small Business and Entrepreneurship February 3, 2021 Favorable (15-5) 81-17 Confirmed on March 16, 2021
Eric Lander Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy January 16, 2021 Commerce, Science, and Transportation April 29, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) Voice Vote Confirmed on May 28, 2021
Arati Prabhakar Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy June 21, 2022 Commerce, Science, and Transportation July 20, 2022 Favorable (15-13) 56-40 Confirmed on September 22, 2022
William J. Burns[10] Director of the Central Intelligence Agency January 11, 2021 Intelligence February 24, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) Voice Vote Confirmed on March 18, 2021


Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations

Comparison to Trump administration

The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2017 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Obama administration

The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2009 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Barack Obama (D) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Biden-Harris Transition, "President-elect Biden Announces Key Members of His Administration," December 10, 2020
  2. ↑ 4President, "President-elect Biden Announces Key Members of His Administration," December 10, 2020
  3. ↑ Twitter, "Senate Press Gallery," February 23, 2021
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 United States Department of Agriculture, "Secretary of Agriculture - Tom Vilsack," accessed July 20, 2016
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 CNN, "Tom Vilsack Fast Facts," March 7, 2013
  6. ↑ U.S. Dairy Export Council, "Our Staff," accessed February 9, 2021
  7. ↑ CRS Report for Congress, "Senate Confirmation Process: An Overview," accessed July 24, 2013
  8. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 4, 2019
  9. ↑ PBS, "Senate confirms Avril Haines as director of national intelligence," January 20, 2021
  10. ↑ At the time of Burns' confirmation, director of the Central Intelligence Agency was not a Cabinet-level position in the Biden administration. Biden elevated the position to Cabinet-level on July 21, 2023.
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