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Category: Administration

More Movement Seen on Senior Administration Officials Front

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Late Monday, recently appointed White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned from his post. The resignation was prompted by what he shared with Vice President Pence about his call with the Russian ambassador to the United States almost immediately following the Presidential election in November.

Flynn had reportedly told Pence that he did not discuss with the ambassador the sanctions levied against Russia by the Obama Administration. The Vice President then publicly supported Flynn’s claim. It was revealed late last week that the subject of the sanctions may have been discussed during the call between Flynn and the ambassador.

On the Cabinet front, Steve Mnuchin, a long-time executive at Goldman Sachs, was confirmed by the Senate mostly along party lines on Monday as the Treasury Secretary. Also on Monday, David Shulkin was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2015, Shulkin was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate to head the Veterans Health Administration.

A number of other Cabinet confirmations remain, including those for Secretary of Department of Labor and Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Appeals Court Upholds Decision on Travel Ban

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A three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit of Appeals kept in place Thursday a temporary restraining order against the Trump Administration executive order that sought, among other things, to bar visa holders from seven nations from entering the United States. The original order was issued by a federal district judge in Western Washington after a suit against the ban was filed by the states of Washington and Minnesota. The initial suit by Washington and Minnesota included declarations from a number of educational entities, including the University of Washington and Washington State University.

The decision primarily focused on the question of whether the ban should be blocked while the legality of the policy behind the ban is examined. The judges ruled unanimously against the various arguments offered by the Administration.

The Administration is now weighing its next steps in the process.

Price Confirmed, Mnuchin Next

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In the wee hours of the morning (just after 2 am), the Senate voted 52-47 to approve the nomination of Rep. Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Price had solid backing from Senate Republicans. The chamber’s Democrats delayed the final vote by holding the floor for the full 30 hours permitted to them under Senate rules, continuing a tactic they utilized for two other Cabinet nominations this week.

The former Republican House Budget Committee Chairman is expected to move quickly to help Republicans substantially revise the ACA.

Shortly after, the Senate voted to limit debate on Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnchin by a 53-46 vote. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) broke ranks and voted with the Republicans, while Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) sat out the vote. The vote to limit debate on Mnuchin’s nomination moves him one step closer to confirmation.  As with all other nominees, Senate Democrats now have the right to debate for 30 hours before moving to a final vote. 

Senate Democrats have fiercely opposed Mnuchin’s nomination. They refused to show up to the committee-level vote on his confirmation after arguing that the nominee provided insufficient answers to their questions on foreclosures by the bank he once led, OneWest. Republicans slammed Democrats as being obstructionists. The Senate is expected to have a final vote on Monday. 

On February 16, the Senate Finance Committee also will hold its first hearing on the nomination of Seema Verma to become the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

DeVos’ First Day

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Wednesday was the first day for newly confirmed Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.  She spent her first day meeting staffers and touring the department as well as addressing all staff. In her address, DeVos sought to move beyond the contentious confirmation process and unite the department, which she acknowledged likely has some staffers who disagree with her on issues. She pledged to listen fully and respect their professional opinion.

Read the full remarks here. 

No word yet on an Under Secretary of Education nominee or an agenda for the higher education task force led by Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.

Attorney General Nominee Confirmed

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After a very contentious debate on the Senate floor, the chamber voted to confirm Wednesday evening Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) as the next Attorney General of the United States by a vote of 52-47. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was the only Democrat to vote in favor of Sessions. Senator Sessions abstained from voting for himself.

The Senate now turns to the nomination of Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) as Secretary of HHS.