Published on January 22, 2025
This presidential action consists of thirteen new nominations to high-level positions across multiple federal agencies, including Agriculture, Transportation, Energy, EPA, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and others. All nominations are replacements for previous officials who have either resigned or are being succeeded, with positions ranging from Deputy Secretaries to Under Secretaries and Agency Directors, representing a significant reshaping of executive leadership across key government departments.
The pattern of nominations suggests a coordinated effort to install new leadership across agencies that specifically oversee environmental, financial, and regulatory matters. The timing and scope of these changes, particularly in agencies dealing with natural resources, environmental protection, and financial oversight, could indicate an attempt to shift policy direction through personnel changes rather than through more visible legislative means. The concentration of nominees from states like Virginia and the simultaneous resignation of multiple officials across different agencies raises questions about a potentially orchestrated transition of power.
While presented as routine administrative appointments, this sweeping leadership change across multiple agencies represents a significant power restructuring that could fundamentally alter federal policy implementation, particularly in environmental and financial regulatory domains. The coordinated nature of these changes, combined with the specific agencies targeted, suggests a broader strategic initiative that warrants careful public scrutiny of these nominees' backgrounds and policy positions.
For Immediate Release January 22, 2025 NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE: Michael Boren, of Idaho, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, vice Homer L. Wilkes, resigned. Steven Bradbury, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation, vice Polly Ellen Trottenberg, resigned. William Briggs, of Texas, to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration, vice Dilawar Syed, resigned. James Danly, of Tennessee, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy, vice David Turk, resigned. Richard Fordyce, of Missouri, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation, vice Robert Farrell Bonnie, resigned. David Fotouhi, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, vice Janet Garvin McCabe. Kenneth Kies, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, vice Lily Lawrence Batchelder. Michael Kratsios, of South Carolina, to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, vice Arati Prabhakar. Paul Lawrence, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, vice Tanya J. Bradsher, resigned. Katharine MacGregor, of Florida, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior, vice Tommy P. Beaudreau, resigned. Casey Mulligan, of Illinois, to be Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Small Business Administration, vice Darryl L. DePriest, resigned. William Pulte, of Florida, to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency for a term of five years, vice Sandra L. Thompson. Penny Schwinn, of Tennessee, to be Deputy Secretary of Education, vice Cynthia Minette Marten, resigned.