Sign in to wowOwow

Enter the email address that you used when registering at wowOwow.
The password field is case sensitive. Click here if you have forgotten your password.

Please register for wowOwow

Newsletter subscriptions
Sign up to receive wowOwow's weekly newsletter and get our best picks delivered right to your inbox. Our newsletter content is hand-picked by the wowOwow editorial team and provides the top features, news, and commentary from our site. Subscribing to our newsletter is free and safe. We will never share your email or other information with a third-party without your direct consent.
By registering, you indicate that you have read and agree
with our privacy policy and terms of service.
Home › Politics

Politics | 01/21/2009 8:40 am

Janet Napolitano Among Seven Confirmed Cabinet Picks

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© AP

The Senate took some time from the Inauguration celebration yesterday to get the new administration up and running when it confirmed seven members of President Obama’s cabinet. But Hillary Clinton wasn’t one of them.

At least one senator, Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, opposed the unanimous consent voice vote. Her confirmation won’t happen until today, via a roll call vote. Don’t worry, her confirmation during the 4:30 vote is in the bag; the vote’s simply a formality. Cornyn and others in the GOP, like Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, say they’re not trying to keep her from the secretary-of-state job, but they want her to make sure husband Bill is more forthcoming about his charity’s fund-raising. One woman, however, did get the green light: Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano.

In case you’re wondering about her qualifications, the former governor of Arizona has years of experience dealing with illegal immigration — one of the larger issues our nation faces. She told Congress that she can’t in good conscience recommend continuing to build a border fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, but that we need more border agents on the ground and in border cities. Taking over for Napolitano as governor of Arizona is Secretary of State Jan Brewer, who has her official inauguration today. In Napolitano’s resignation letter to the people of Arizona, she said:

It has been my honor to serve the people of Arizona as governor. I look forward to continuing to serve Arizona, our new president and all of the people of our great nation in my new role as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Other confirmed Cabinet members include Steven Chu as energy secretary, Arne Duncan as education secretary, Eric Shinseki as head of veterans affairs, Ken Salazar for interior head, Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture and Peter Orszag as head of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. Still to be confirmed is Rep. Hilda Solis, D-CA, Obama’s pick for labor secretary. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid thinks her nomination will be approved, despite protests from some Republicans who complained she wasn’t forthcoming enough about her views on the union-backed Employee Free Choice Act, which makes it easier for unions to organize.

Also awaiting the green light is Timothy Geithner, the likely treasury secretary who had those "embarrassing" tax woes. He will face the Finance Committee today. Meanwhile, the Judiciary Committee is expected to vote as early as today on whether Eric Holder will be our new attorney general, and Tom Daschle still needs to be confirmed as health and human services secretary. Now, if only Obama could find a new commerce secretary.

Click here to read wOw’s 10 Things You May Not Know About Janet Naplitano.

Read more about: Barack Obama, Confirmation, Eric Holder, Hilda Solis, Hillary Clinton, Janet Napolitano, News, Obama Administration, President Obama, senate, Tim Geithner, U.S.

10 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Brooklyn Gal
Cornyn’s holding up Secty of State when the world is in such crisis is irresponsible. This is a job that should have started yesterday at noon and his reason’s make no sense since she is going to be confirmed any way. Congrats to Napolitano. She is a very smart women who when faced with issues, looks for solutions.
By Brooklyn Gal on 01/21/2009 8:54 am
f p
Cornyn and Lugar need to get off the pot and knock the partisan crap off right now—Hils needs to be at work. Congrats to Napolitano.
By f p on 01/21/2009 9:28 am
Catherine Kaiman
I agree fp, I would like to see her confirmed so she can get over to Israel, and somehow broker a meaningful, sustaining, peace agreement between Gaza and Israel. I think this is of the utmost importance, and Cornyn and Lugar, should embrace the by~partisanship of the new administration, but I guess old habits die hard.
By Catherine Kaiman on 01/21/2009 2:54 pm
f p
Old fools de hard Catherine in oryn’s and Lugar’s case I’d say. It’s a new era and they just don’t get it yet.
By f p on 01/22/2009 9:04 am
Grande Camper
I don’t know if I should say congrats to Napolitano or not. I think it’s kind of funny she got the green light. I mean I’m down here in Arizona and through out the years haven’t notice a change in our boarder problems with illegal immigration. We still argue about bilingual education, we still find trucks filled with Mexican victims in the middle of the desert, and we’re still debating about whether or not it’s unconstitutional to ask people to show IDs at polling places, and we still have police finding business who have hired illegal immigrates with no ID and do not speak English. Look I like Janet Napolitano. She’s been a good Governor. It just we haven’t exactly secured our state borders. But what the heck, let’s put her in charge of keeping the whole country safe.
By Grande Camper on 01/21/2009 10:34 am
Jennifer Dooley
Good Grief…Get on with it! We need to handle business Now . You can revisit anything after what needs to be done right now at Hand. Do they not teach Priorities 101, to our Elected Officials. These types of things can be revisited. Let Obama have the Team He wants in place as soon as possible, so that those pressing issues can be addressed. Then you can have investigations, impeachments ect. Right Now Let Us Experience The Change…Let Us see what Our Leader can do with the team he has chosen. That is part of trusting a leader. I want to live in a United America in regards to being able to admire, like and believe in my President. Like it was when I was in third grade. That will inspire us to make the transition to a better tomorrow for the Children’s Children. I want to Listen to Our Leader and see where and how it is that He is going to take us forward .
By Jennifer Dooley on 01/21/2009 11:36 am
Sherrie Crews
I think I’m with Debra Grande on this one. If Governor Napolitano can’t handle the illegals problem in her own state how can she keep all of this nation’s borders secure?
By Sherrie Crews on 01/21/2009 1:05 pm
Diana T
There is a heckuvalot more issues involved with Homeland Security than immigrants sneaking over the border. The Bush administration, after all these years, has still not made our railways, our rivers&harbors and our interstate roads more secure.
By Diana T on 01/21/2009 1:48 pm
Lizzie R.
Janet Napolitano has been a good governor. I voted for the past Republican govs, and changed my party when she ran. There were things she didn’t or couldn’t do, but she did do a lot. Remember, this is McCain’s state and he was always reelected. Janet was in her 2nd term as governor, so there was a reason she got reelected. There are so many illegals crossing the border here, plus so many living here already that the problem is almost impossible to deal with. I think she was a good choice. I hope I’m not wrong.
By Lizzie R. on 01/21/2009 6:57 pm