Kristi Noem Confirmed as Homeland Security Secretary in Rare Senate Saturday Session
Today, in a rare Saturday session, the Senate voted to confirm South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
It took a bipartisan effort, but several Democrats joined Republicans to secure her confirmation for a final vote tally of 59 to 34.
Fox News explained the reason for the rare Saturday session:
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., indicated earlier in the week that the Senate would stay over the weekend to push through the confirmation process if Democrats blocked voting efforts.”Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that’s what we’re going to do,” Thune said after Democrats blocked a confirmation vote for Trump’s CIA director nominee, John Ratcliffe, who has bipartisan support. “This can be easy or this can be hard.”
The New York Post has more on Noem’s road to her nomination:
Trump, 78, has indicated that Noem will work closely with border czar Tom Homan to secure the nation’s borders.During her confirmation hearing, Noem described the southern border as a “war zone” and pledged to provide Border Patrol agents all the resources they need to reverse the flow of migrants.She called border security a “top priority” for the country, while also insisting on the need for a “fair and lawful immigration system.”
Noem is one of a few nominees that have been confirmed this week.
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