President Donald Trump secured Senate approval this week for two key nominees to serve as deputy secretaries in the Energy and Interior departments, marking continued progress in filling senior roles in his administration, The Hill reported.
The Senate confirmed James Danly as deputy secretary of energy and Katharine MacGregor as deputy secretary of the interior.
Danly was confirmed Tuesday in a 52-44 vote. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who typically caucuses with Democrats, joined Senate Republicans in backing the nomination. Danly previously served as a Republican member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted 54-40 to confirm MacGregor. In addition to King, four Democrats supported her confirmation: John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.
MacGregor brings experience in the role, having served as deputy interior secretary during Trump's first term. Between administrations, she worked for NextEra, an electric utility company.
The confirmations come as part of the ongoing effort to fill hundreds of positions requiring Senate approval.
As of Wednesday, Trump has named 315 people to key posts in his administration, according to the Political Appointee Tracker.
Among approximately 1,300 positions that require Senate confirmation, 822 are actively being tracked. Of those, 323 have no nominee, three are awaiting formal nomination, 250 are under Senate consideration, and 62 have been confirmed.
In addition, 186 appointees serve in termed positions or were held over from previous administrations.
As Trump continues shaping his administration, these confirmations reflect his ongoing effort to staff key agencies with people who align with his policy priorities.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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