The UN Ambassador, Dorothy Shea, a career diplomat is there only because US Rep Elsie Stefanik nomination, was withdrawn in March in order to protect the voting majority for the Big Beautiful Bill. Another nomination is pending.
Sean Duffy did spend multiple terms in Congress but without any focus on transportation (thus experience) issues, or management of a large employee base that encompasses DOT. The land and air disasters occurring during PB term as Secretary, (think East Palestine Ohio train derailment and oil spill 2023) exemplify the tremendous need for qualified candidates in some of these less understood national infrastructures cabinets, that take years to improve safety policy concerns.
I may have missed it, but Stephen Miller role needs profiling as policy czar for national security and Dept of Justice positions.
Unqualified remains my primary concern with exception of SOS Marco Rubio, and his positions are 180 from his terms as Senator.
When I was collecting this information, my goal was to avoid caricature but also point out that, as citizens, we really deserve to have two separate people doing the jobs of NASA Administrator and Secretary of Transportation. We should have four separate people doing the jobs of Secretary of State, USAID Administrator, Archivist, and National Security Advisor.
There's plenty of caricature on the internet (and plenty of room for it). And - not to both sides it - but Pete Buttigieg didn't have a lot of relevant experience with transportation before he became Secretary of Transportation (one might say Duffy, having served in Congress at all, was more qualified on paper). And, of all the people in this cabinet, I'm least mad at Sean Duffy. Part of the President's job in putting people in these roles is party building and giving people experience. Would I prioritize different values and experiences? Definitely. Do I think this is the best that the United States of America has to offer? I do not. But if I were voting people out of the cabinet, I'd start somewhere else (with Kristi Noem)
For the purposes of this week's newsletter, I wanted to challenge myself to focus on Senate-confirmed Cabinet positions that are part of Executive Agencies. I cross-checked Senate voting records, the White House, and US.gov.
FWIW it makes sense to me that the President would avoid nominating Stephen Miller to a role that required Senate confirmation because he's actually a white supremacist. This is an incomplete list - there are at least three other people reported in the New York Times article I linked that are holding multiple high-profile roles.
I think the information, in this instance, really speaks for itself. -Maggie
Sounds a bit defensive yet that’s ok. I tend to the 54321 breathe before response. As Sarah and Beth book says “I may not agree with you but I’ll listen” And that’s what we are here for, yet also not be blindsided to the patterns.
PB military experience and as mayor of even a small town, actually gave him an incredible amount of relevant infrastructure management and disaster response experience, in prep for his DOT position. His record speaks for itself. Read a bit more about him and you’ll be amazed.
In my experience supporting Congressional positions, they actually are experienced in two distinct areas: their mediation and communication skills, and their specific committee in which they serve. While they hold a great deal of fiscal power and status, they do not acquire management skills of 1000s of personnel, nor the budget and disaster response experiences that present with state positions.
Thanks for distilling all of this info for us. The visual of multiple headshots was very effective - shout out to whoever came up with that idea! I think all the time about how these humans are still just humans...our capacity does vary but there are still only 24 hours a day, we all need food and water and sleep to survive but also to think and make good decisions, and not having space to slow down and reflect will prohibit creative thinking and problem-solving.
It is rather odd that the Archivist of the United States is also the Secretary of State. However, many moons ago I worked for the National Archives, and I have the utmost confidence that the staff there can do the work with a hands-off leader. (Heck, many appointed Archivists have been hands off.) That is, if they are left to to their job. They are responsible for declassifying things - like, the actual process of decalssfying and making recommendations, not actually determining what is declassified - and for making sure public records are made public. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if a heavy hand comes into play in the agency at some point.
You know, I am following Beth’s lead and I really wanted to resist the urge to caricature the cabinet and only pick the most outrageous bits (Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education, for instance).
A few things that challenged my assumptions:
-Our current UN Ambassador is a carry over from the Biden Administration.
- Sean Duffy (who, I’ll be honest, I assumed was a joke) served as a DA in Wisconsin and then was elected to 4 terms in Congress. He left Congress because his wife was having complications with her pregnancy and he has a daughter with Downs Syndrome.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer was a pretty moderate Republican Congresswoman from Oregon. Last year, she was one of three (or something like that) Republicans who voted in favor of a union rights bill.
Brooke Rollins has been working in Agriculture policy for a long time in the Midwest, starting in Rick Perry’s administration in Texas.
I know people don’t like it when Sarah and Beth say “it’s not that bad” like Kristi Noem is THE WORST. They are kidnapping people off the streets. Pam Bondi is stretching the limits of legal okayness. It is at least 50% ‘Clown Show: The Revenge Tour’ but I find a seed of hope in the fact that these names and faces I *don’t* recognize are mostly people I disagree with doing a job differently than I would.
Of all of these, I’m honestly the most concerned about the U.S. Trade Rep serving also as both Acting Director of the Office of the Special Council and the Office of Government Ethics. Like…surely there is someone more qualified and less political to serve (separately) in both of those critical roles?
The UN Ambassador, Dorothy Shea, a career diplomat is there only because US Rep Elsie Stefanik nomination, was withdrawn in March in order to protect the voting majority for the Big Beautiful Bill. Another nomination is pending.
Sean Duffy did spend multiple terms in Congress but without any focus on transportation (thus experience) issues, or management of a large employee base that encompasses DOT. The land and air disasters occurring during PB term as Secretary, (think East Palestine Ohio train derailment and oil spill 2023) exemplify the tremendous need for qualified candidates in some of these less understood national infrastructures cabinets, that take years to improve safety policy concerns.
I may have missed it, but Stephen Miller role needs profiling as policy czar for national security and Dept of Justice positions.
Unqualified remains my primary concern with exception of SOS Marco Rubio, and his positions are 180 from his terms as Senator.
Hi! Maggie here -
When I was collecting this information, my goal was to avoid caricature but also point out that, as citizens, we really deserve to have two separate people doing the jobs of NASA Administrator and Secretary of Transportation. We should have four separate people doing the jobs of Secretary of State, USAID Administrator, Archivist, and National Security Advisor.
There's plenty of caricature on the internet (and plenty of room for it). And - not to both sides it - but Pete Buttigieg didn't have a lot of relevant experience with transportation before he became Secretary of Transportation (one might say Duffy, having served in Congress at all, was more qualified on paper). And, of all the people in this cabinet, I'm least mad at Sean Duffy. Part of the President's job in putting people in these roles is party building and giving people experience. Would I prioritize different values and experiences? Definitely. Do I think this is the best that the United States of America has to offer? I do not. But if I were voting people out of the cabinet, I'd start somewhere else (with Kristi Noem)
For the purposes of this week's newsletter, I wanted to challenge myself to focus on Senate-confirmed Cabinet positions that are part of Executive Agencies. I cross-checked Senate voting records, the White House, and US.gov.
FWIW it makes sense to me that the President would avoid nominating Stephen Miller to a role that required Senate confirmation because he's actually a white supremacist. This is an incomplete list - there are at least three other people reported in the New York Times article I linked that are holding multiple high-profile roles.
I think the information, in this instance, really speaks for itself. -Maggie
Hi, Deb here,
Sounds a bit defensive yet that’s ok. I tend to the 54321 breathe before response. As Sarah and Beth book says “I may not agree with you but I’ll listen” And that’s what we are here for, yet also not be blindsided to the patterns.
PB military experience and as mayor of even a small town, actually gave him an incredible amount of relevant infrastructure management and disaster response experience, in prep for his DOT position. His record speaks for itself. Read a bit more about him and you’ll be amazed.
In my experience supporting Congressional positions, they actually are experienced in two distinct areas: their mediation and communication skills, and their specific committee in which they serve. While they hold a great deal of fiscal power and status, they do not acquire management skills of 1000s of personnel, nor the budget and disaster response experiences that present with state positions.
Thanks for distilling all of this info for us. The visual of multiple headshots was very effective - shout out to whoever came up with that idea! I think all the time about how these humans are still just humans...our capacity does vary but there are still only 24 hours a day, we all need food and water and sleep to survive but also to think and make good decisions, and not having space to slow down and reflect will prohibit creative thinking and problem-solving.
It is rather odd that the Archivist of the United States is also the Secretary of State. However, many moons ago I worked for the National Archives, and I have the utmost confidence that the staff there can do the work with a hands-off leader. (Heck, many appointed Archivists have been hands off.) That is, if they are left to to their job. They are responsible for declassifying things - like, the actual process of decalssfying and making recommendations, not actually determining what is declassified - and for making sure public records are made public. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if a heavy hand comes into play in the agency at some point.
Thank you Maggie; its hard to keep track of these multi tiered appointments and this is a good reference
And they’re not qualified for any of them
You know, I am following Beth’s lead and I really wanted to resist the urge to caricature the cabinet and only pick the most outrageous bits (Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education, for instance).
A few things that challenged my assumptions:
-Our current UN Ambassador is a carry over from the Biden Administration.
- Sean Duffy (who, I’ll be honest, I assumed was a joke) served as a DA in Wisconsin and then was elected to 4 terms in Congress. He left Congress because his wife was having complications with her pregnancy and he has a daughter with Downs Syndrome.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer was a pretty moderate Republican Congresswoman from Oregon. Last year, she was one of three (or something like that) Republicans who voted in favor of a union rights bill.
Brooke Rollins has been working in Agriculture policy for a long time in the Midwest, starting in Rick Perry’s administration in Texas.
I know people don’t like it when Sarah and Beth say “it’s not that bad” like Kristi Noem is THE WORST. They are kidnapping people off the streets. Pam Bondi is stretching the limits of legal okayness. It is at least 50% ‘Clown Show: The Revenge Tour’ but I find a seed of hope in the fact that these names and faces I *don’t* recognize are mostly people I disagree with doing a job differently than I would.
Of all of these, I’m honestly the most concerned about the U.S. Trade Rep serving also as both Acting Director of the Office of the Special Council and the Office of Government Ethics. Like…surely there is someone more qualified and less political to serve (separately) in both of those critical roles?
SURELY!!!!!!
Besides, who can manage all the tariff nonsense AND ensure government ethics and accountability?
Does USAID still exist?
Yes and no. Kind of like the Department of Education.