The Senate voted to confirm more than 100 nominees, including a nominee for assistant secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for general counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and for several U.S. attorneys on Oct. 7.
The vote resulted in 51 yeas and 47 nays, with two not voting.
Craig Trainor was confirmed as an assistant secretary at HUD. Previously, Trainor was acting assistant secretary for civil rights, principal deputy assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education, senior special counsel with the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary under Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), senior litigation counsel with the America First Policy Institute under former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and of counsel with The Fairness Center.
James Baehr was selected to be general counsel for VA. Previously, Baehr served as an assistant U.S. attorney at the Eastern District of Louisiana, a judge advocate in the Marine Corps. He currently serves in the reserved with 4th Civil Affairs Group.
The Securities and Exchange Commission retained Paul Atkins for a term expiring June 5, 2026. Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a commissioner of the SEC for 2002 to 2008, during which he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council.
Department of Treasury confirmations
Francis Brooke was confirmed as an assistant secretary of the Treasury for International Trade and Development. Before joining the Treasury Department, he served as policy director for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), as deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of the National Economic Council under Larry Kudlow.
The Treasury also gained Brain Morrissey, Jr., as general counsel. Morrissey was a trial and appellate litigator with experience defending clients in government enforcement actions, representing plaintiffs challenging government rules and counseling clients on developing compliance protocols to effectively manage litigation and regulatory risks
U.S. attorney confirmations
The following individuals were confirmed by the senate as U.S. attorneys for the term of four years:
- Daniel Rosen – District of Minnesota
- David Charles Waterman – Southern District of Iowa
- Kurt Wall – Middle District of Louisiana
- Ronald A. Parsons, Jr. – District of South Dakota
- Lesley Murphy – District of Nebraska
- David Metcalf – Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Bart McKay Davis – District of Idaho
- Nicholas Chase – District of North Dakota
- Kurt Alme – District of Montana
- David Toepfer – Northern District of Ohio
- Adam Sleeper – District of the Virgin
- Leif Olson – Northern District of Iowa
- John Heekin – Northern District of Florida
- Matthew Harvey – Northern District of West Virginia
- David Dunavant – Western District of Tennessee
- Arch Capito – Southern District of West Virginia