The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to agriculture, farming, forestry and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade, assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger in the U.S. and the world.

Background:

• Former governor of Georgia
• Former state senator of Georgia
• Served in the U.S. Air Force
• Earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia

Potential confirmation controversies:

While he was governor, he was criticized for not doing enough to fight a serious drought in the state, instead asking citizens to pray for rain.

Since leaving the governor’s office, Perdue has run several trucking, agriculture and logistics firms that might raise questions of possible conflicts of interest.

Impending department issues:

• Rising obesity in adults and children
• Growing public support for GMO (genetically modified organism) labeling
• Immigration laws and the shortage of migrant workers
• Trade agreements that could create market opportunities for American farmers
• Food safety and the steady rise in food-related illnesses

The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the U.S. federal government, tasked with gathering, processing and analyzing national security information from around the world, primarily through the use of human intelligence. The CIA has no law enforcement function and is mainly focused on overseas intelligence gathering, with only limited domestic collection.

Background:

• U.S. Representative from Kansas for the past five years, and a former Army officer
• Member of the House Intelligence Committee
• Intense critic of a covert CIA program to train and arm moderate rebel forces in Syria

Potential confirmation controversies:

Mike Pompeo has said that Muslim leaders who fail to denounce acts of terrorism done in the name of Islam were “potentially complicit” in the attacks. Pompeo reportedly has close ties to the Koch family, Kansas billionaires who have devoted a considerable part of their wealth to advancing a deeply conservative agenda. Kansas newspapers have reported that Pompeo built much of his wealth with investment funds from Koch industries and that his campaigns for Congress have been backed by Koch money.

Impending agency issues:

• Whether to undo a CIA “modernization” plan that included a reorganization and increased focus on cyber threats, which the department put in place under current Director John Brennan.
• How to respond to possible orders from the president-elect to resume harsh interrogation tactics, including waterboarding.

The department promotes job creation and improved living standards for Americans “by creating an infrastructure” that creates jobs, promotes economic growth, encourages sustainable development and improves standards of living for all Americans. The secretary oversees a diverse portfolio, including the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Background:

• No government experience
• Investor most known for rescuing failed companies, earning him the nickname “King of Bankruptcies”
• Served as Trump’s economic adviser during the campaign
• Spent 25 years at the head of investment banking firm Rothschild Inc.’s bankruptcy practice.
• Serves as chairman of W.L. Ross & Co., an investment company

Potential confirmation controversies:

Wilbur Ross is likely to face new questioning related to the January 2006 Sago mine disaster in Sago, West Virginia, which killed a dozen workers. The mine was owned by a subsidiary of one of his companies, International Coal Group Inc. He faced findings that he ignored dozens of safety concerns and citations.

Impending department issues:

• Trans-Pacific Partnership awaiting ratification
• Expediting job growth
• Possible renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement

The department is responsible for protecting the United States through its four branches of the armed services — Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines — as well as other sub-agencies that produce everything from weapons and supplies for military units to intelligence on foreign threats. There are nearly 2 million members of the armed services and reserves. Its budget constitutes about a sixth of all federal spending.

Background:

• Marine general led operations across the Middle East.
• Mattis served from November 2007 to August 2010 as the supreme allied commander of transformation for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
• 11th commander of United States Central Command from August 11, 2010, to March 22, 2013,
• Retired from the Marine Corps on May 22, 2013.
• Co-editor of Warriors & Citizens: American Views of Our Military, published in 2016.

Possible confirmation controversies:

To take the job, retired General James Mattis will need Congress to pass new legislation to bypass a federal law stating that defense secretaries must not have been on active duty in the previous seven years. Mattis favors a tougher stance against U.S. adversaries abroad, especially Iran. He has called the Iranian regime “the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East.”

Impending department issues:

• Ongoing fight against Islamic State
• Integrating women into combat roles
• Allowing transgender people to serve openly
• Global war on terror
• Increasing expansion threats from Russia and China

The Department of Education establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It also collects data on U.S. schools, and enforces federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights. The department does not establish schools or colleges nor is it heavily involved in determining curricula or educational standards.

Background:

• No government experience
• Married since 1980 to Richard DeVos, who was an heir to the Amway fortune and CEO of its parent company, Alticor, from 1993 to 2002
• Chairwoman of the Windquest Group, a privately held operating group that invests in technology, manufacturing and clean energy
• Former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party
• Education activist

Potential confirmation controversies:

The nomination is expected to face strong opposition from public school advocates, who oppose Betty DeVos efforts to funnel taxpayer money from public to private and religious schools.

Impending department issues:

• Overhaul of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which regulates what students should know in English language, arts and mathematics at the end of each grade
• Conservative push for deregulation, leaving more decisions to states and local districts

Despite its name, most of the Energy Department’s budget is devoted to maintaining the nation’s stockpile of nuclear warheads and to cleaning up nuclear waste at sites left by military weapons programs. The department administers the nation’s energy policy, promotes scientific and technological innovation, as well as facilitates some of the president’s highest priorities: clean energy and research and development.

Background:

• Former three-term governor of Texas
• Second-longest-serving U.S. governor
• Elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1984

Potential confirmation controversies:

• As former governor of oil-rich Texas, Perry could be seen as likely to shift the department away from renewable energy and toward fossil fuels.
• He has also repeatedly questioned scientific findings that human activity is helping drive climate change.
• He is on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the firm that is trying to complete work on the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Great Plains.

Impending department issues:

• Continued momentum toward renewable energy
• What to do with civilian nuclear waste

The United States Environmental Protection Agency was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress. It conducts environmental assessment, research and education, and has the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws.

Background:

• Current attorney general of Oklahoma
• State senator, 1998-2006
• Served as Republican Whip from 2001-2003, and then as the Republican assistant floor leader, until he left the Senate in 2006
• General managing partner of the Oklahoma RedHawks, Oklahoma City’s Triple-A baseball team, 2004

Potential confirmation controversies:

Scott Pruitt has sued the EPA on behalf of Oklahoma utilities unwilling to take on the burdens of additional regulation of their coal-fired plants, and criticized the agency in a congressional hearing. He is also a leading figure in a legal effort by several states to throw out the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s climate change strategy that requires states to curb carbon output. He told the Reuters news agency that he sees the Clean Power Plan as a form of federal “coercion and commandeering” of energy policy.

Pruitt is skeptical of climate change. In an opinion piece in an Oklahoma newspaper this year, he wrote that he believes the debate over global warming is “far from settled” and that scientists continue to disagree on the issue.

Impending department issues:

• Conservative policymakers are considering proposals to effectively strip the agency of its authority to set, put in place and enforce pollution standards.
• The agency has also been criticized for its implementation of a regulation known as “Waters of the U.S.,” which would expand pollution controls over the nation’s rivers and streams.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. HHS has 11 operating divisions, including eight agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and three human services agencies. The divisions perform many functions, including providing support and resources for Americans including families, children, older Americans and those with disabilities; writing health policy; ensuring the safety of food and health care, and conducting life-saving research.

Background:

• Orthopedic surgeon
• Representative from Georgia since 2005
• Chairman of the House Budget Committee

Potential confirmation controversies:

Critics will zero in on Tom Price’s past proposals to kill federal funding for Planned Parenthood and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, with age-based tax credits. Price has also advocated an overhaul of Medicare.

Impending department issues:

• Rising costs of the Affordable Care Act
• Health and financial concerns of an aging population

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is responsible for public security, much like the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve antiterrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cybersecurity, and disaster prevention and management. With more than 240,000 employees, DHS is the third-largest Cabinet department, after the Departments of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs.

Background:

• Retired United States Marine Corps general
• Commanding general of the Multinational Force-West in Iraq, February 2008 to February 2009
• Commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North, October 2009
• Commander of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), November 2012 to January 2016

Potential confirmation controversies:

Retired Marine General John Kelly is not expected to face difficulty winning Senate confirmation, but could face some tough questions regarding his views on drugs, terrorism and other cross-border threats that he sees as emanating from Mexico and Central and South America.

Impending department issues:

• Implementing Trump’s campaign promise to crackdown on illegal immigration would fall on DHS components, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• DHS would also have to oversee Trump’s signature campaign promise: a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep out illegal immigrants.

In charge of developing and executing policies on the nation’s housing and metropolises. HUD aims to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.

Background:

• No government experience
• Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, 1984 until 2013 retirement
• Author of six books

Potential confirmation controversies:

Inexperience is likely to be the main problem for Ben Carson. He rejected a previous offer from Trump to be the secretary of Health and Human Services because he felt he was too inexperienced to run a federal agency. He has also asserted that helping the poor is not the job of government.

Impending department issues:

• Following the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule, requiring communities set targets to reduce dense pockets of low-income and minority families
• $26 billion backlog of needed repairs and redevelopment for the nation’s 900,000 public housing units

The U.S. Department of the Interior is responsible for the management and conservation of natural resources and most federal land, including national parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite. The department includes the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which has oversight over offshore oil drilling and wind power; and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Background:

• Member U.S. House of Representatives from Montana, since 2015
• Former Navy SEAL, 1986-2008; retired with rank of commander

Potential confirmation controversies:

• Zinke has been a staunch supporter of the fossil-fuel industry. He pushed to end a moratorium on federal coal leases on public lands by 2019, saying it had resulted in closed mines and job cuts.
• He also helped introduce a bill expanding tax credits for coal-burning power plants that bury carbon-dioxide emissions underground to fight climate change.
• Zinke has also questioned whether humans are largely the cause of climate change.

Impending department issues:

• Continuing Obama administration efforts to expand the National Park System
• Managing water in 17 Western states

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice. He is the chief law enforcement officer and chief lawyer of the U.S. government. The department enforces the law and defends the interests of the United States according to the law. It provides federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seeks just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and ensures fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

Background:

• U.S. senator from Alabama for 20 years
• One of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump
• Chaired Trump national security advisory committee

Potential confirmation controversies:

Jeff Sessions was rejected for a federal judgeship in 1986 because of racially charged comments and actions. His former colleagues testified Sessions used a racial epithet and joked about the Ku Klux Klan, saying he thought they were “OK, until he learned that they smoked marijuana.” The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate speech, has said Sessions is guilty of it. Democrats and civil rights groups have denounced Sessions for his hard-line views on Muslims and immigrants.

Impending department issues:

Issues facing the department include safeguarding national security, ensuring privacy and civil liberties protections, and enhancing cybersecurity in the wake of increasing threats. The department must also manage an overcrowded federal prison system, as well as strengthen the relationships between law enforcement and local communities in light of recent spate of police shootings.

The Department of Labor is responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. The aim of the agency is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees in the United States.

Background:

• No government experience
• Chief executive of CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc., the parent company of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s burger chains

Potential confirmation controversies:

Andrew Puzder has argued against raising the federal minimum wage higher than $9 an hour. He is also on the board of the International Franchise Association, a trade group that has criticized the Obama administration for “attacking” the franchising model by implementing regulations it says stunt job growth.

Impending department issues:

• Implementing a string of regulations the Obama administration pushed through over the past several years in an attempt to boost workers’ wages and rights as a way to expand the middle class and narrow income gaps between the lowest and highest earners.
• The department also is in the middle of a clash between the business community and worker-advocacy groups over whether more regulation helps or hurts the economy.

The Director of National Intelligence serves as the president’s principal adviser on intelligence matters and oversees U.S. intelligence efforts. The director leads the efforts of the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies and oversees the coordination of information between various agencies.

Background:

• United States senator from Indiana, 1989 to 1999, and 2011 to 2017
• U.S. Ambassador to Germany, 2001 to 2005
• Member of the United States House of Representatives, 1981 to 1989

Possible confirmation controversies:

• In 2014, Coats was banned from Russia in retaliation for his support for a series of sanctions levied against Moscow after it annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Impending department issues:

• President-elect Donald Trump has been considering ways to restructure intelligence agencies to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Some officials have suggested that Trump is weighing dismantling the very agency he has now reportedly tapped Coats to lead, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The mission of the Small Business Administration is to support entrepreneurs and small businesses. SBA has at least one office in each U.S. state. The agency’s activities are summarized as the “3 Cs” of capital, contracts and counseling. The SBA provides a government-backed guarantee on loans to small businesses. It helps lead the federal government’s efforts to deliver 23 percent of prime federal contracts to small businesses. In addition, the agency provides grants to support counseling partners who provide services to more than 1 million entrepreneurs and small-business owners annually.

Background:

• Co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
• Grew the company from a small regional business in New York to a large, publicly traded multinational firm, 1980-2009
• No government experience, except two failed bids for U.S. Senate seat

Potential confirmation controversies:

Lack of government experience

Impending department issues:

• Implementing Trump’s plans to “bring back our jobs and roll back the burdensome regulations.”

The U.S. Department of State is responsible foreign policy issues, including negotiating treaties and agreements. The State Department maintains diplomatic relations with countries around the world with the goal of fostering stable conditions to benefit American people as well as people in other countries. It also oversees 294 embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions around the world. It was created in 1789 and was the first executive department established in the United States.

Background:

• CEO Exxon Mobil Corporation
• Various other positions in Exxon, where he began working right after graduating from the University of Texas

Potential confirmation controversies:

Tillerson has close ties with Russia, particularly after signing a $300 billion agreement for oil and gas drilling in 2011, and being awarded its Order of Friendship in 2013. Many of his close contacts in Russia, including President Vladimir Putin, are expected to come under scrutiny during Senate confirmation hearings. Though Tillerson has acknowledged man-made climate change, Exxon has been accused of suppressing internal research showing that it knew about the impact of fossil fuels on climate change.

Impending department issues:

• Maintaining or negotiating economic sanctions on Russia, imposed after their annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, would fall on the Department of State.
• Trump may move to reverse a historic though controversial nuclear deal with Iran, which would rely on negotiations with top diplomats, including the Secretary of State.

The department oversees all aspects of transportation — roads, airlines and railways — in the U.S., maintaining and developing the nation’s transportation systems and infrastructure. The DOT is also responsible for nation’s time zones and the uniform observance of Daylight Saving Time.

Background:

• Former Labor Secretary under President George W. Bush, 2001-2009
• First Asian-American female Cabinet member
• Married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 1993
• Former chief executive of the United Way of America, 1996-2001
• Former director of the Peace Corps, 1991-1992

Possible confirmation controversies:

Elaine Chao’s husband, Mitch McConnell, has refused to recuse himself from her confirmation hearing. If confirmed, she will be in charge of pushing Trump’s infrastructure plans through Congress, setting up possible scenarios of conflict of interest.

Impending department issues:

• President-elect Trump has promised massive infrastructure projects, including incorporating new technologies and innovations into the national transportation system such as state-of-the-art pipelines, advancements in maritime commerce and the next generation of vehicles.

U.S. Department of Treasury Department has broad financial controls over business and banks; enforces tax laws and collects taxes; pays U.S. bills and manages its debt; prints money; and advises the president on domestic and international financial, trade and tax policy.

Background:

• No government experience
• Donald Trump campaign finance chairman
• Former Goldman Sachs executive; spent 17 years at the New York investment bank
• Founded his own private-equity hedge fund, Dune Capital Management
• Financier in Hollywood

Potential confirmation controversies:

Steven Mnuchin (pronounced mah-NEW-chin) was part of group in 2009 that bought failed subprime lender that was heavily involved in risky home loans that helped bring about the national housing and financial market crisis. The bank he operated was then questioned for its foreclosure practices. He later sold the bank for $3.4 billion. His close ties to an industry he would be in charge of regulating have the potential to complicate his confirmation.

Impending department issues:

• Shaping and shepherding President-elect Donald Trump’s tax policies and infrastructure plans through Congress.
• Ensuring cyber security of federal information systems systems

The position is more formally known as the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations. The ambassador is charged with representing the United States on the U.N. Security Council and during almost all plenary meetings of the General Assembly, except in the rare situation in which a more senior officer of the United States, such as the U.S. Secretary of State or the President of the United States is present.

Background:

• Governor of South Carolina since 2010
• Elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system. The VA’s primary function is to support veterans after they have served by providing medical care, benefits and support. The agency employs nearly 345,000 people at hundreds of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, clinics and benefits offices, and is responsible for administering veterans benefits programs for military veterans, their families and survivors.

Background:

• Under Secretary for Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2015
• President at Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, 2010-2015
• President and CEO of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, 2005-2009
• Founder and CEO of DoctorQuality Inc., a consumer-oriented information service
• Received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania

Possible confirmation controversies:

• Shulkin is not a veteran.

Impending department issues:

• Trump has regularly criticized the department as being hopelessly corrupt and incompetent. Other critics have recommended that the VA medical centers be shut down and instead have veterans get their care from the private sector.

The job entails no administrative duties, instead it entails being the president’s top adviser and confidant. It was a job filled by Karl Rove under President George W. Bush and recently by John Podesta under President Barack Obama. Senior advisers have also been largely responsible for protecting and crafting the president’s message and overall “brand.”

Background:

• Executive chair of Breitbart News, a far-right news, opinion and commentary website.
• Former investment banker at Goldman Sachs.
• Launched Bannon & Company, a boutique investment bank specializing in media. Responsible for the sale of Castle Rock Entertainment to Ted Turner.
• Acting director of Biosphere 2, an Earth-science research project in Oracle, Arizona, in 1993

The position is responsible for providing advice and counsel to the president on national security matters.

Background:

• Retired United States Army lieutenant general.
• Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, July 22, 2012, to August 7, 2014.
• His service also included being the commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, chair of the Military Intelligence Board, assistant director of National Intelligence, and the senior intelligence officer for the Joint Special Operations Command.
• Runs Flynn Intel Group, which provides intelligence services for business and governments.

The Office of Counsel to the president is responsible for advising on all legal aspects of policy questions, legal issues arising in connection with the president’s decision to sign or veto legislation, ethical questions, financial disclosures, and conflicts of interest during employment and post employment.

The counsel also helps define the line between official and political activities, oversees executive appointments and judicial selection, handles presidential pardons, reviews legislation and presidential statements, and handles lawsuits against the president in his role as president, as well as serving as the White House contact for the Department of Justice.

Background:

• A partner since 2013 at the Jones Day law firm in Washington, D.C., where he has focused mostly on political law.
• Former member of the United States Federal Election Commission, 2008-2013.
• Chief counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee, 1999-2008.

In a modern White House, the chief of staff has emerged as one of the most powerful positions in all of government. The job requires managing the entire Executive Office of the president, an organization that includes everything from the residence staff that attends to the first family to the National Security Advisor.

The president’s senior advisers, including communications director, political director and other senior counselors, all report to the chief of staff.

The chief of staff is also the gatekeeper to the president, deciding which decisions need to be personally made by the president and which can be delegated to subordinates, as well as controlling who gets meetings with and access to the president.

Most importantly, the chief if staff is an all-purpose adviser on everything from politics to policy, guiding and counseling a president on some of the toughest decisions, helping to navigate major domestic and international crises and acting as both a sounding board and counselor.

Background:

• Republican National Committee chairman, since 2011
• General counsel for the Republican National Committee, 2009-2010