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Confirmation process for Howard Lutnick for secretary of commerce

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President-elect Donald Trump (R) announced finance executive Howard Lutnick as his nominee for secretary of commerce on November 19, 2024.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a confirmation hearing for Lutnick on January 29, 2025.[1] The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Lutnick on February 18, 2025.[2]Click here to read more about the confirmation process.

Trump said of Lutnick's nomination, "I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative."[3]

This page includes the following information about the confirmation process:

Confirmation process

See also: Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

Confirmation vote roll call

See also: How senators voted on Trump Cabinet nominees, 2025

The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Lutnick on February 18, 2025.[4]

Summary of Senate vote on Howard Lutnick's nomination for secretary of commerce (February 18, 2025)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic PartyDemocrats0432
Republican PartyRepublicans5102
Grey.png Independents020
Totals51454


Four senators did not vote:



Senate confirmation hearing

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a confirmation hearing for Lutnick on January 29, 2025.[5]

Howard Lutnick's Senate confirmation hearing, January 29, 2025

Financial disclosures

The Office of Government Ethics released Lutnick's financial disclosures in January 2025. Click here to review them.


About the nominee

Lutnick received a bachelor's degree in economics from Haverford College in 1983 and began working at Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, that year.[6][7] From 1991 to 1996, Lutnick was president and chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald, and he was chairman and chief executive officer from 1996 to 2025. He was also chairman and chief executive officer of BGC Group and chairman of Newmark Group during that time.[8]


About the confirmation process

See also: Appointment confirmation process

The confirmation process includes several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy. Supporters and opponents of the nominee may also testify.[9]

Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation. The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.[10]

About the Cabinet

A presidential Cabinet is a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies. The Cabinet tradition is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that the president "may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices."[11]

While not explicitly identified in the Constitution, the Cabinet secretaries are the 15 agency heads who are in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also part of the Cabinet. These positions, in order of presidential succession, are:

The number of officials in a Cabinet can vary across presidential administrations. The following additional positions are part of Trump's second term presidential Cabinet:

All of the positions above, except for Vice President and White House Chief of Staff, require Senate confirmation.

Other Trump Cabinet nominees

See also: Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 and Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

The following table provides an overview of the status, confirmation hearings, and committee and Senate votes for each of Trump's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees in his second term.

Overview of confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees in his second term
Nominee Position Announced Senate committee Confirmation hearing Committee vote Senate vote Status
Marco RubioSecretary of StateNovember 13, 2024Foreign RelationsJanuary 15, 2025Favorable (22-0)99-0Confirmed on January 20, 2025
Scott BessentSecretary of the TreasuryNovember 22, 2024FinanceJanuary 16, 2025Favorable (16-11)68-29Confirmed on January 27, 2025
Pete HegsethSecretary of DefenseNovember 12, 2024Armed ServicesJanuary 14, 2025Favorable (14-13)51-50Confirmed on January 24, 2025
Matt GaetzAttorney GeneralNovember 13, 2024JudiciaryN/AN/AN/AWithdrawn on November 21, 2024
Pam BondiAttorney GeneralNovember 21, 2024JudiciaryJanuary 15-16, 2025Favorable (12-10)54-46Confirmed on February 4, 2025
Doug BurgumSecretary of the InteriorNovember 14, 2024Energy and Natural ResourcesJanuary 16, 2025Favorable (18-2)80-17Confirmed on January 30, 2025
Brooke RollinsSecretary of AgricultureNovember 23, 2024Agriculture, Nutrition, and ForestryJanuary 23, 2025Favorable (23-0)72-28Confirmed on February 13, 2025
Howard LutnickSecretary of CommerceNovember 19, 2024Commerce, Science, and TransportationJanuary 29, 2025Favorable (16-12)51-45Confirmed on February 18, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemerSecretary of LaborNovember 22, 2024Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsFebruary 19, 2025Favorable (13-9)67-32Confirmed on March 10, 2025
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Secretary of Health and Human ServicesNovember 14, 2024Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance		January 30, 2025 / January 29, 2025N/A / Favorable (14-13)52-48Confirmed on February 13, 2025
Scott TurnerSecretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentNovember 22, 2024Banking, Housing, and Urban AffairsJanuary 16, 2025Favorable (13-11)55-44Confirmed on February 5, 2025
Sean DuffySecretary of TransportationNovember 18, 2024Commerce, Science, and TransportationJanuary 15, 2025Favorable (28-0)77-22Confirmed on January 28, 2025
Chris WrightSecretary of EnergyNovember 16, 2024Energy and Natural ResourcesJanuary 15, 2025Favorable (15-5)59-38Confirmed on February 3, 2025
Linda McMahonSecretary of EducationNovember 19, 2024Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsFebruary 13, 2025Favorable (12-11)51-45Confirmed on March 3, 2025
Doug CollinsSecretary of Veterans AffairsNovember 14, 2024Veterans' AffairsJanuary 21, 2025Favorable (18-1)77-23Confirmed on February 4, 2025
Kristi NoemSecretary of Homeland SecurityNovember 12, 2024Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsJanuary 17, 2025Favorable (13-2)59-34Confirmed on January 25, 2025
Jamieson GreerU.S. Trade RepresentativeNovember 26, 2024FinanceFebruary 6, 2025Favorable (15-12)56-43Confirmed on February 26, 2025
Tulsi GabbardDirector of National IntelligenceNovember 13, 2024Intelligence (Select)January 30, 2025Favorable (9-8)52-48Confirmed on February 12, 2025
Elise StefanikU.S. Ambassador to the United NationsNovember 11, 2024Foreign RelationsJanuary 21, 2025Favorable (Voice Vote)N/AWithdrawn on March 27, 2025
PendingU.S. Ambassador to the United NationsTBDForeign RelationsTBDTBDTBDTBD
Russell VoughtDirector of the Office of Management and BudgetNovember 22, 2024Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / BudgetJanuary 15, 2025 / January 22, 2025Favorable (8-7) / Favorable (11-0)53-47Confirmed on February 6, 2025
Lee ZeldinAdministrator of the Environmental Protection AgencyNovember 11, 2024Environment and Public WorksJanuary 16, 2025Favorable (11-8)56-42Confirmed on January 29, 2025
Kelly LoefflerAdministrator of the Small Business AdministrationDecember 4, 2024Small Business and EntrepreneurshipJanuary 29, 2025Favorable (12-7)52-46Confirmed on February 19, 2025
John RatcliffeDirector of the Central Intelligence AgencyNovember 12, 2024Intelligence (Select)January 15, 2025Favorable (14-3)74-25Confirmed on January 23, 2025


Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations

Comparison to Biden administration

See also: Joe Biden's Cabinet

The following chart displays how many days it took for the Cabinet secretaries of President Joe Biden (D) to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2021. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Trump's first term

See also: Donald Trump presidential Cabinet, 2017-2021

The following chart displays how many days it took for President Donald Trump's (R) first term Cabinet secretaries to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2017. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Obama administration

The following chart displays how many days it took for the Cabinet secretaries of President Barack Obama (D) to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2009. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.


List of secretaries of commerce, 1913-2024

See also: U.S. Department of Commerce
Recent Secretaries of Commerce
Secretary of CommerceYears in officeNominated byConfirmation vote
Donald Evans2001-2005George W. BushN/A
Carlos Gutierrez2005-2009George W. BushN/A
Gary Locke2009-2011Barack ObamaN/A
John Bryson2011-2012Barack Obama74-26
Penny Pritzker2013-2017Barack Obama97-1
Wilbur Ross2017-2021Donald Trump72-27
Gina Raimondo2021-PresentJoe Biden84-15
Jeremy Pelter (acting)2025-PresentDonald TrumpN/A


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑Senate.gov, "Hearings & Meetings," accessed January 27, 2025
  2. ↑NY Times, "Senate Confirms Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary," February 18, 2025
  3. ↑4President, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Howard Lutnick as the United States Secretary of Commerce," November 19, 2024
  4. ↑NY Times, "Senate Confirms Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary," February 18, 2025
  5. ↑Senate.gov, "Hearings & Meetings," accessed January 27, 2025
  6. ↑Haverford College, "Family and Friends Weekend Keynote: Howard Lutnick '83," November 2, 2015
  7. ↑Forbes, "Briefing Book: Howard Lutnick," July 13, 2012
  8. ↑LinkedIn, "Howard W. Lutnick," accessed January 16, 2025
  9. ↑CRS Report for Congress, "Senate Confirmation Process: An Overview," accessed July 24, 2013
  10. ↑Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 4, 2019
  11. ↑Constitution Center, "Presidential Advisors," accessed November 18, 2020
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