Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Moving Forward With The Confirmation Of President Biden’s Cabinet Nominees

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the need to confirm President Biden’s cabinet nominees this week including Linda Thomas-Greenfield as Ambassador to the United Nations and Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today, the Senate will complete the confirmations of two key nominees: Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as UN Ambassador, and Tom Vilsack to serve as Agriculture Secretary. As I said yesterday, the Senate will also confirm Jennifer Granholm this week to serve as the next Energy Secretary and begin the confirmation process of Dr. Miguel Cardona to serve as the next Education Secretary. We also hope to do Gina Raimondo, nominee for Secretary of Commerce, early next week.  

Each of these nominees has received bipartisan support in Committee. Each of these nominees is undoubtedly qualified for their positions, a stark departure from the caliber of nominees the Senate was made to consider during the previous administration.

And make no mistake: the Senate is going to move quickly to approve key officials in the Biden Administration this work period.

These cabinet positions and agencies have an immense influence over the policy of the United States, impacting hundreds of millions of American lives. At a time of acute national challenge, we need qualified leaders atop our federal agencies—and fast. And that’s what we intend to do.

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