Biden Cabinet Confirmation Live Thread ***hearings, votes, etc.***

[LeBron]

Apparently Schumer is probably gonna try to get full Senate votes for Vilsack, Raimondo, Walsh, Cardona, Regan, and possibly Granholm next week in addition to Thomas-Greenfield.  I can’t remember where, but I read this a few days ago.

I don't think there's enough time to fit them all in though. Chances are there's only going to be 4-5 confirmed this week.

[LeBron]

So I figured I would state my estimated confirmation dates for the 7 upcoming nominees:

LTG/Vilsack - Feb. 22nd-23rd

Cardona - Feb. 25th. It's not definitive, but Psaki suggested that this one is this week.

Regan - Feb. 24th. Regan would be a super quick confirmation that they could do on like Wednesday night and there's good reason to think that EPA is a priority rn because of the climate disaster in Texas. Not to mention it would be pretty historic and cool to confirm the first black male EPA leader during black history month.

Walsh - March 1st-5th. He's likely going to have to wait to see if that Boston home rule petition passes or not. That alone might delay his confirmation vote into next week. If it does pass, I would say he gets his Senate vote on March 1st or 2nd. If it doesn't pass, the soonest he could resign as mayor is March 5th meaning his Senate vote wouldn't come until later that week I believe.

Raimondo - If I had to guess, March 1st-5th. According to Sen. Whitehouse, other nominees this week are likely to jump ahead of her due to Cruz's hold on her (he said this on a local radio show a couple of days ago).

Granholm - (I don't really have any idea on this one)

[Blair]

Bloomberg is reporting that Rahm Emanuel is high on the list to be appointed as U.S. Ambassador to China by Biden.

I might have to start taking the "Sleepy Joe" conspiracies more seriously if this reporting is true.

But no, for real, Biden is smarter than that (I think/hope). Or hopefully, just like earlier Rahm rumors - this one isn't true.

Rahm is going to become one of these people who gets a completely different job in democratic politics every 3-4 years without anyone remembering why he lost the last job.

Very much expect that it ends with him as Governor of Illinois in 2030

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Bloomberg is reporting that Rahm Emanuel is high on the list to be appointed as U.S. Ambassador to China by Biden.

I might have to start taking the "Sleepy Joe" conspiracies more seriously if this reporting is true.

But no, for real, Biden is smarter than that (I think/hope). Or hopefully, just like earlier Rahm rumors - this one isn't true.

If he treats the Chinese like he treated progressives, we're looking at all out nuclear war here.

[brucejoel99]

Scratch China, Rahm's being eyed for Japan now:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/539680-biden-seems-set-to-pick-fight-over-rahm-emanuel

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appears poised to take on a high-profile ambassadorship for President Biden, a step likely to trigger contention with progressives who've balked at him taking a Cabinet role.

Emanuel is the front-runner to be Biden's nominee as ambassador to Japan, sources familiar with the matter told The Hill.

He's also being considered for the post in China, but sources said Japan is the more likely landing spot for former President Obama's chief of staff. Former State Department official Nicholas Burns is the likely front-runner to end up in Beijing.

[...]

This... actually doesn't anger me at all compared to what would be an actual high-stakes ambassadorship like China, but I'm more than happy to pretend that it does if it makes it more likely. Like, how are we supposed to act here? "Oh no, please don't send Rahm far away on a low-stakes ambassadorship with an allied country where the deputy chief of mission will probably just be the one who's gonna run our embassy's day-to-day operations anyway & from where he can't actually influence policy or constantly be a whisperer in the ears of White House senior staff or Democratic leadership!!"

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I dunno Rahm's personality doesn't seem like a great fit for Japan, culturally?

[politicallefty]

Bloomberg is reporting that Rahm Emanuel is high on the list to be appointed as U.S. Ambassador to China by Biden.

I might have to start taking the "Sleepy Joe" conspiracies more seriously if this reporting is true.

But no, for real, Biden is smarter than that (I think/hope). Or hopefully, just like earlier Rahm rumors - this one isn't true.

Rahm is going to become one of these people who gets a completely different job in democratic politics every 3-4 years without anyone remembering why he lost the last job.

Very much expect that it ends with him as Governor of Illinois in 2030

And serving time in the federal penitentiary in 2040?

I dunno Rahm's personality doesn't seem like a great fit for Japan, culturally?

I had a similar thought. If he's due for an ambassadorship, I don't want him anywhere near the prominent Asian countries. Japan is one of our of closest and strongest allies and China is basically an adversary at this point. Rahm Emanuel strikes me as the kind of person that could easily offend their concepts of respect and honour. I think it'd be preferable if we sent some of our best that know their respective languages (or at least will make a serious attempt to do so).

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I dunno Rahm's personality doesn't seem like a great fit for Japan, culturally?

It's not.

[Horus]

Send Rahm to Italy or Poland.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Send Rahm to Italy or Poland.

Italy doesn't want him, and if Kalwejt or Kaatak were here I'm sure they'd certify that Poland doesn't either.

Send him to Liechtenstein or something.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I dunno Rahm's personality doesn't seem like a great fit for Japan, culturally?

His personality is bad for any country we want to be diplomatic with.

Send him to Liechtenstein or something.

That is shared with Switzerland. It might take some work to figure out who is ambassador to the fewest people after the Vatican and the 3 free association countries.

[Blair]

Collins comes out against Tanden- no great surprise.

In the most Susan Collins move however she cited Tanden deleting tweets as raising 'serious transparency' concerns with could impact her record keeping at OMB- as if the Secretary has the power to just delete all the files. 

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Do you hear that? It's the sound of ten thousand keyboard warriors gritting their teeth as they realise the Kulinski approach to old tweets is their only path to a Cabinet position.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Rahm being made Ambassador to Japan is fine.  He won’t do any damage there and he was always gonna get something.  Better Ambassador to Japan than Secretary of Transportation, Ambassador to China, or Ambassador to Israel. 

[BudgieForce]

I'm glad that Tanden's nomination is essentially DOA now with Collins' NO vote. Biden should choose some else.....and better to be OMB Director.

I assumed Collins was always a no vote. She spoke out against Tanden's nomination back in December.

I would say she still has a slim shot at being confirmed just because there are enough potential Republican swing votes left, but its not looking good.

[LeBron]

https://twitter.com/burgessev/status/1363866188212809728?s=21

Press F

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Rahm being made Ambassador to Japan is fine.  He won’t do any damage there and he was always gonna get something.

I still hope he's just going to be told to sod off and "Learn to code".

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

If Manchin sinks Haaland as well as Tanden, I don't think the Native American community is going to just sit back and say "oh well" and let Biden choose some white guy instead. There are plenty of other Native politicians, activists, and businesspeople with both the right views and the right experience for a public lands and Western development portfolio.

[BudgieForce]

If Manchin sinks Haaland as well as Tanden, I don't think the Native American community is going to just sit back and say "oh well" and let Biden choose some white guy instead. There are plenty of other Native politicians, activists, and businesspeople with both the right views and the right experience for a public lands and Western development portfolio.

I think Biden just goes with Michael Connor in that situation.

[BudgieForce]

https://twitter.com/jbendery/status/1363176370789097472

Alaskan congressman Don Young testifying for Haaland.
Might help win over Murkowski.

[Stuart98]

What are the chances Murk votes for Tanden?

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AnnieGabstonH/status/1363681593068453890
This is the problem with some people on the left. Just because someone is a "person of color" or a "woman" - that doesn't absolve them from criticism or opposition. Also, the opposition to Neera Tanden is NOT because she's a "woman of color".

Biden's pick to be Deputy OMB Director is Shalanda Young - she's a Black woman. For all intents and purposes, she's qualified and doesn't have the mean tweets history that Tanden does. Biden should nominate Young to be OMB Director instead.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

What are the chances Murk votes for Tanden?

If Collins and Romney are a NO, then you pretty much already know the answer. It's extremely unlikely that Murkowski will vote in favor of Tanden's nomination.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AnnieGabstonH/status/1363681593068453890
This is the problem with some people on the left. Just because someone is a "person of color" or a "woman" - that doesn't absolve them from criticism or opposition. Also, the opposition to Neera Tanden is NOT because she's a "woman of color".

Biden's pick to be Deputy OMB Director is Shalanda Young - she's a Black woman. For all intents and purposes, she's qualified and doesn't have the mean tweets history that Tanden does. Biden should nominate Young to be OMB Director instead.

Eh, I think it's a bit more nuanced than that. It isn't that they're absolved of criticism or opposition -- I think it's that they want to be able to have a level playing field. In other words, lots of folks believe that a woman should be allowed to do all the female equivalent of things that Trump did and largely get away with it, whereas obviously that would never happen.

[AndyHogan14]

I wonder what the odds are that Manchin and Murkowski end up abstaining on Tanden, thus making it so she gets confirmed with a 49-49 vote. Murkowski ended up doing that with Kavanaugh...