Today saw considerable movement in the confirmation process of President Trump’s cabinet appointees. The Senate confirmed former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as the next Secretary of State in a vote of 56 to 43. In a vote of 11 to 9, the Senate Judiciary committee voted to advance the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General. Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works committee boycotted today’s meeting, delaying a committee vote to advance the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Republicans on the Senate Finance committee suspended rules, bypassing a Democrat boycott to vote and advance the nominations of U.S. Representative Tom Price to serve as Director of Health and Human Services and financier Steven Mnuchin to serve as Treasury Secretary. Meanwhile, Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education, lost the backing of Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowsi.
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