President Donald Trump Sends Dozens of Key Appointments to Senate for Confirmation, Including Residents of Maryland and Virginia

President Donald Trump Sends Dozens of Key Appointments to Senate for Confirmation, Including Residents of Maryland and Virginia

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
    

Gary Andres of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.
House Budget Committee (Jan. 2023-)
 Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) Staff Director House Ways and Means Committee (April 2018-Jan. 2023)
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) Staff Director, Republican

Daniel Aronowitz of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor. Daniel is the President of Encore Fiduciary, a leading Fiduciary Liability insurance underwriting company for America’s employee benefit plans. Dan has thirty years of experience in the professional liability industry as a coverage lawyer and underwriter and is a widely recognized fiduciary liability expert and thought leader. He is the author of Euclid’s Fiduciary Liability Insurance Handbook and the fiduciary liability insurance chapter of the Trustee Handbook published by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University School of Law and has achieved the RPLU+ designation from the Professional Liability Underwriting Society. He is very active in his church and local community, including Boy Scouts and coaching youth sports. He is an avid tennis player and long-distance runner, having participated in two Boston Marathons. He lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife and two young children.

     James Baehr, of Louisiana, to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
     Kirsten Baesler, of North Dakota, to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
    

Joseph Barloon of Maryland, to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative (Geneva Office), with the rank of Ambassador. On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Barloon to a seat on the United States Court of International Trade.^[4] The president officially nominated Barloon to the court on November 16, 2020.^[3] Barloon’s nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2021.^[5] The president renominated Barloon on January 3.^[1] President Joe Biden (D) withdrew the nomination on February 4, 2021.^[2] Barloon was nominated to replace Judge Leo Gordon, who assumed senior status on March 22, 2019. The American Bar Association rated Barloon as well-qualified

     Benjamin Black, of New York, to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
     Kevin Cabrera, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Panama.
     Sean Cairncross, of Minnesota, to be National Cyber Director.
     Gustav Chiarello III of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. Gustav Chiarello is currently Senior Special Counsel to the House Committee on the Judiciary, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan. He serves on the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, chaired by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald. Previously, Mr. Chiarello served as an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), overseeing several hospital merger cases and healthcare and technology antitrust investigations. He also served as an Attorney Advisor to Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen during the first Trump Administration. Mr. Chiarello’s work and research at the FTC and House Judiciary illuminated how overregulation by the administrative state and restrictions on competition negatively impacted healthcare delivery and health outcomes. Mr. Chiarello received his undergraduate degree in economics and human resource management from the Catholic University of America. He also holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a law degree from George Mason University.
     Tyler Clarkson of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture.
     Jason De Sena Trennert, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
     Thomas DiNanno, of Florida, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
     Sean Donahue, of Florida, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
     David Eisner, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy.
     David Fogel, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service.
     George Glass, of Oregon, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Japan.

     Jonathan Gould of Virginia, to be Comptroller of the Currency for a term of five years. Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, today applauded the nomination of Jonathan Gould to be Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

“Jonathan is an experienced, dedicated individual whose leadership will be essential in carrying out the OCC’s mission of ensuring safety, soundness, and fair access in the financial services industry. He will be a strong advocate for correcting the unacceptable practices that have gone against the principles of fairness and market access over the last few years. His extensive background in the public and private sectors make him highly qualified for the task ahead, and I look forward to working with him once confirmed.”

     Catherine Hanson, of South Carolina, to be Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency.
     Landon Heid, of Missouri, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
     Peter Hoekstra, of Michigan, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Canada.
     Allison Hooker, of Georgia, to be an Under Secretary of State (Political Affairs).
     Mike Huckabee, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the State of Israel.
     John Hurley, of California, to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes.
     Scott Hutchins, of Indiana, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics.
     Ronald Johnson, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Mexican States.
     Taylor Jordan, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
     Paul Kapur, of California, to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs.
     David Keeling, of Kentucky, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor.
     Nicholas Kent of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Education.
     Joseph Kent, of Washington, to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
     Jessica Kramer, of Wisconsin, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
     Charles Kushner of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the French Republic and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Principality of Monaco.
     Henry Mack III, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor.
     Ned Mamula, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the United States Geological Survey.
  
  
Jennifer Mascott of Maryland to be General Counsel, Department of Education. Jennifer Mascott served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and to Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. During law school, she received the John Bell Larner Award for the highest cumulative GPA of the students in the graduating class, the Jennie Hassler Walburn Award (in civil procedure), and the Imogen Williford Constitutional Law Award. She has also served as Senior Projects Editor of the George Washington Law Review. She interned for Judge Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP.

Prior to attending law school, Professor Mascott held various staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate US Senate, including that of Press Secretary for Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia and former Congresswoman Anne Northup of Kentucky. In addition to managing Adfero on behalf of the trust established by her late husband, Jeff Mascott, who founded the firm in 2005, Jenn holds an appointment as a tenured associate professor of law at Catholic University. There, she founded the Separation of Powers Institute and Litigation Clinic to research and provide analysis on constitutional constraints impacting federal regulatory and legislative power. Previously, she was an assistant professor at George Mason’s Scalia Law School and co-director of the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State. In those capacities, Jenn has provided regular briefings for U.S. Senate and House legal and policy staff on regulatory reform, the constitutional division of power between the executive and legislative branches, and the impact of key Supreme Court decisions on congressional authority.

In her legal academic roles, Jenn routinely talks with national media and trade press. She has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week, the Saturday Today Show, NBC Special Report with both Savannah Guthrie and Lester Holt, PBS NewsHour, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News’s Ingraham Angle, The Tucker Carlson Show, and Late Night with Shannon Bream. She has published in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and has been quoted or cited by The New York Times, the AP, Bloomberg, Reuters, USA Today, and the National Law Journal, among other publications. She also frequently testifies in Congress, including having testified in the confirmation hearings for two Supreme Court justices.

     Jonathan McKernan, of Tennessee, to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection for a term of five years.
     Jonathan Morrison, of California, to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

     Brian Morrissey Jr. of Virginia, to be General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury. BRIAN MORRISSEY is a trial and appellate litigator who focuses on complex disputes with the government. He has extensive 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.

Brian brings a pragmatic and results-driven approach to his work, informed by senior-level government experience. He formerly served as the second-highest ranking attorney at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, held leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Justice, and is a former U.S. Supreme Court clerk. 

     Brian Nesvik, of Wyoming, to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
     Kevin O’Farrell, of Florida, to be Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of Education.
     Caleb Orr, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Economic and Business Affairs).
     Wayne Palmer, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.
     Luke Pettit, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
     Tina Pierce, of Idaho, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Energy.
     Chris Pratt, of Utah, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Political-Military Affairs).
     Brian Quintenz, of Ohio, to be Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
     Brian Quintenz, of Ohio, to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for a term expiring April 13, 2029.
     David Rader, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
     Joel Rayburn, of Oklahoma, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs).
     Kimberly Richey, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Education.
     Mary Riley, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, Department of Education.
     Audrey Robertson, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy).
     Sarah Rogers, of New York, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy.
    

Reed Rubinstein of Maryland, to be Legal Adviser of the Department of State.  Reed D. Rubinstein is the Senior Vice President of the America First Legal Foundation, www.aflegal.org. He handles trials and appeals of constitutional, Administrative Procedure Act, administrative, tort, and commercial cases, and has extensive experience in the law and practice of Executive Branch and Congressional oversight, defending government investigations, and designing and implementing public advocacy campaigns. Notably, Reed successfully represented the victims of the Fort Hood terrorist attack in their fight against the Obama/Biden Administration’s politically motivated denial of Purple Hearts and medical benefits.

Reed joined the Trump Administration in January 2017, serving as Deputy Associate Attorney General, General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education (delegated), and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury, among other things. He advised and counseled political leaders; managed high-priority investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters; and investigated and helped expose Obama/Biden efforts to circumvent Iran sanctions laws. Between June 2019 and January 2021, he initiated and led twenty-seven civil investigations of U.S. universities for violating foreign money disclosure requirements, consumer protection laws, and grant conditions, including seventeen investigations exposing the Communist Chinese Party and other foreign funding of and collusion with U.S. institutions of higher education and an investigation of Princeton University for violation of its nondiscrimination assurances.

Reed led or played a material role in Executive actions and orders, including the Religious Liberty and Free Inquiry Rule, 85 Fed. Reg. 61736; Presidential Proclamation 10043, “Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Students and Researchers from the People’s Republic of China,” 85 Fed. Reg. 34353; the Title IX rule, 85 Fed. Reg 30026; Executive Order 13899 “Combatting Anti-Semitism”, 84 Fed. Reg. 68779; Executive Order 13892, “Promoting the Rule of Law Through Transparency and Fairness in Civil Administrative Enforcement and Adjudication,” 84 Fed. Reg. 55239; and the President’s “Memorandum for the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Discharging the Federal Student Loan Debt of Totally and Permanently Disabled Veterans,” 84 Fed. Reg. 44677. 
     Kathleen Sgamma, of Colorado, to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
     Warren Stephens, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
     Michael Stuart, of West Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services.
     Aaron Szabo of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
     Richard Topping, of Ohio, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs.
     Craig Trainor, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
    

Olivia Trusty of Maryland, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 30, 2025.
     Olivia Trusty of Baltimore, Maryland, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of five years from July 1, 2025.  (Reappointment)
COMMISSIONER GOMEZ STATEMENT ON OLIVIA TRUSTY ANNOUNCEMENT

WASHINGTON, January 16, 2025—Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued the following statement today after President-Elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Olivia Trusty as FCC Commissioner:

“Congratulations to Olivia Trusty on the President-Elect’s announcement of his intent to nominate her as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. She is widely respected, a consummate professional, and has a strong background on communications policy. I welcome the opportunity to work with her.”

     Matthew Whitaker, of Iowa, to be United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:
     Luke Petit, of Washington, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.