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Barack H. Obama Cabinet Nominations

Article II, section 2 of the Constitution gives the Senate responsibility for considering and confirming the President's executive and judicial nominations.

Nomination

Announced

Hearings

Received

Confirmed

Vote

Secretary of Agriculture

Tom Vilsack

Dec 17, 2008

Jan 14, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

voice vote

Attorney General

Eric Holder

Dec 1, 2008

Jan 15-16, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Feb 2, 2009

75-21 No. 32

Secretary of Commerce

Bill Richardson1

Judd Gregg2

Gary Locke

John Bryson

Dec 3, 2008

Feb 3, 2009

Feb 25, 2009

May 31, 2011

 

 

March 18, 2009

Jun 21, 2011

 

 

Mar 16, 2009

Jun 16, 2011

 

 

Mar 24, 2009

Oct 20, 2011

 

 

voice vote

74-26 No. 166

Secretary of Defense

Robert Gates3

Leon Panetta

Dec 1, 2008

Apr 28, 2011

 

June 9, 2011

 

May 26, 2011

 

Jun 21, 2011

 

100-0 No. 93

Secretary of Education

Arne Duncan

Dec 15, 2008

Jan 13, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

voice vote

Secretary of Energy

Steven Chu

Dec 11, 2008

Jan 13, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

voice vote

Secretary of Health & Human Services

Tom Daschle4

Kathleen Sebelius

Dec 11, 2008

Mar 2, 2009

Jan 8, 2009

Mar 31, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Mar 17, 2009

 

Apr 28, 2009

 

65-31  

No. 172

Secretary of Homeland Security

Janet Napolitano

Dec 1, 2008

Jan 15, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

voice vote

Secretary of Housing & Urban Development

Shaun Donovan

Dec 13, 2008

Jan 13, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 22, 2009

voice vote

Secretary of Interior

Ken Salazar

Dec 17, 2008

Jan 15, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

voice vote

Secretary of Labor

Hilda Solis

Dec 19, 2008

Jan 9, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Feb 24, 2009

80-17 No. 66

Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton

Dec 1, 2008

Jan 13, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 21, 2009

94-2 No. 6

Secretary of Transportation

Ray LaHood

Dec 19, 2008

Jan 21, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 22, 2009

voice vote

Secretary of Treasury

Timothy Geithner

Nov 24, 2008

Jan 21, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 26, 2009

60-34 No. 15

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Eric Shinseki

Dec 7, 2008

Jan 14, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

Jan 20, 2009

voice vote

1. Withdrawn January 4, 2009.

2. Withdrawn February 12, 2009.

3. Continued from the previous administration.

4. Message of withdrawal received in the Senate on February 9, 2009.


For historic cabinet nomination information, see the table Cabinet Nominations, 1977-2008 (pdf).