http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/ en Copyright 2012 Fri, 08 May 2009 18:13:47 GMT http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Updated at 5:53 p.m. on May 11. Rumors are swirling about possible replacements for Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court. While National Journal briefly profiled some of the most prominent names already, here is a rundown of even more that are surfacing in coverage of the search. NationalJournal.com will update this list in alphabetical order as it grows. Anita Alvarez, Cook County State's Attorney • Age: 52 • Education: Loyola University in Chicago, 1982; Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1986. • Ethnicity: Hispanic • Her Cook County biography can be found here. Ruben Castillo, United States District Court for the http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/who-will-replace-souter.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/who-will-replace-souter.php APPOINTMENTS Supreme Court Fri, 08 May 2009 18:13:47 GMT President Obama's pick to lead the 2010 census has pledged to lawmakers that he will maintain his independence at the helm of the decennial count. Robert Groves, who this week submitted written answers to a questionnaire prepared by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, wrote that he would "actively resist any attempt at interference" by outsiders. Groves said he would resign if he encounters overwhelming political pressure that would compromise the process. Republicans are wary (subscription) that census officials might attempt to use statistical sampling to correct for an undercount of minorities, an adjustment that would result in http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/groves-vows.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/groves-vows.php CONFIRMATIONS Census Bureau Commerce Gary Locke Robert Groves Fri, 08 May 2009 14:15:00 GMT The newly appointed federal chief technology officer has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, but Aneesh Chopra plans to issue recommendations on an open government directive by May 21, a White House official said. The administration, via a blog and possibly through other new media conduits, plans to invite the public to comment on the memo as early as next week. A presidential memo issued on Jan. 21, the day after Barack Obama's inauguration, set a deadline of May 21 for suggestions from the CTO on how to create a more transparent, collaborative and participatory government. The Obama administration http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/cto-to-make.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/cto-to-make.php CONFIRMATIONS Aneesh Chopra Chief Technology Officer Thu, 07 May 2009 15:40:00 GMT One of the first things Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg says she will do if confirmed as FDA commissioner is review the agency's recent work on the H1N1 flu situation, according to testimony she is delivering today at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. FDA has worked throughout the crisis to begin developing a vaccine for the virus and accelerate approval of diagnostic tests to detect H1N1. Hamburg led development of a flu pandemic preparedness plan when she served as the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at HHS during the Clinton administration. Now vice president http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/fda-nominee.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/fda-nominee.php CONFIRMATIONS FDA Margaret Hamburg Thu, 07 May 2009 14:15:00 GMT President Obama's trade team is coming into focus with the Senate's confirmation Wednesday of Demetrios Marantis as deputy U.S. Trade Representative. Marantis was Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus' top trade staffer. Obama also said Wednesday he will work to open foreign markets to U.S. products and make it easier for other countries to sell their goods here, and that he is "developing a plan of action for pending trade agreements" with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. Obama discussed the benefits of global trade in his proclamation that the third week of May will be World Trade Week, a tradition dating http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/marantis-confirmed.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/marantis-confirmed.php CONFIRMATIONS Demetrios Marantis Ron Kirk Trade Representative Thu, 07 May 2009 13:45:00 GMT Sen. David Vitter, R-La., will keep a hold on President Obama's pick to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency until he receives a satisfactory answer on updating flood maps in his state, his office said Tuesday. Vitter is seeking a resolution to an issue that has prevented Louisiana parishes ravished by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 from rebuilding. He met Monday with W. Craig Fugate, who has been nominated to head FEMA, but did not get enough information to lift his hold. According to Vitter's office, local rebuilding efforts have been stalled because FEMA is relying on outdated maps. http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/vitter-maintains-hold.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/vitter-maintains-hold.php CONFIRMATIONS David Vitter FEMA W. Craig Fugate Wed, 06 May 2009 13:26:00 GMT President Obama has announced he will nominate former South Carolina Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum to be chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Robert Adler as a new commissioner on the panel. If confirmed, Tenenbaum would replace Acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord. http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/tenenbaum-picked.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/tenenbaum-picked.php APPOINTMENTS Consumer Product Safety Commission Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT National Journal reporter Ed Pound, who joined the magazine in 2007, is taking his investigative skills to the federal government to help keep an eye on how tax dollars are spent. Pound will be communications director for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which was created as part of the economic stimulus bill to coordinate and conduct oversight of funds distributed under the law in order to prevent waste, fraud and abuse. In his new position, he will work closely with board Chairman Earl Devaney to develop short- and long-term communication strategies and manage the Recovery.gov Web site. Before joining http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/ed-pound-moves-to-recovery.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/ed-pound-moves-to-recovery.php APPOINTMENTS Earl Devaney Ed Pound Tue, 05 May 2009 16:00:58 GMT With just four days under his belt, the Pentagon's new head of acquisition is sifting through the massive job ahead of him and establishing a to-do list that includes reviews of major procurements. Ashton Carter, who was sworn in as the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics on Monday, said Thursday that much of what would have been his first order of duty was accomplished during the lead-up to Defense Secretary Robert Gates' release of the department's budget request in early April. Gates recommended major changes in the Pentagon's procurement priorities, including cuts to a number of programs. http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/new-dod-procurement.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/new-dod-procurement.php Afghanistan Ashton Carter Defense Iraq Robert Gates Fri, 01 May 2009 15:45:00 GMT The Senate Thursday overwhelmingly confirmed Tom Strickland's nomination as assistant Interior secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, but Republican holds might delay the appointment of two of his fellow deputies at the department. The Senate, 89-2, approved Strickland, who will continue to be Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's chief of staff. He is only the second of President Obama's nominees for Interior to be confirmed. Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, Thursday announced he will try to hold up the nomination of Hilary Tompkins to be solicitor at Interior because he wants Salazar to clarify the administration's position on an agreement reached http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/interior-holds.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/interior-holds.php CONFIRMATIONS David Hayes Hilary Tompkins Interior Ken Salazar Lisa Murkowski Robert Bennett Tom Strickland Fri, 01 May 2009 14:50:00 GMT President Obama's pick to head the EPA's air pollution division is being blocked from confirmation by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., over concerns about the agency's plans for regulating carbon dioxide. Barrasso's office confirmed Wednesday that he has placed a hold on the nomination of Gina McCarthy to become director of the EPA Office of Air and Radiation. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved McCarthy's nomination last week by voice vote, with only Barrasso opposed. McCarthy is the head of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/choice-for-epa-air-office.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/choice-for-epa-air-office.php CONFIRMATIONS EPA Gina McCarthy John Barrasso Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:50:00 GMT Kathleen Sebelius became the final member of President Obama's Cabinet to win Senate confirmation Tuesday, as the chamber voted 65-31 to approve her appointment as HHS secretary. Under an agreement with Republicans, the confirmation required 60 votes to be approved. Sebelius, 60, immediately announced her resignation as Kansas governor, allowing Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, a former state Republican chairman turned Democrat, to ascend to the state's top elected office. President Obama administered the oath of office to Sebelius just after 8 p.m. Obama tapped Sebelius for the HHS post in early March, after his first choice, former Senate Majority Leader http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/sebelius-confirmation.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/sebelius-confirmation.php CONFIRMATIONS HHS Kathleen Sebelius Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:55:00 GMT By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF Say this about Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.: On just about any issue, you know exactly where he stands. On the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head HHS, Coburn is not just voting "no" but saying that confirming her will help destroy the country. Because of her support for abortion rights, Coburn said, her ascension to the job will put the United States "on our way to oblivion as a nation." Other Republicans, including Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said they would vote against confirmation because of her backing of government-backed health care. Bennett said his opposition http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/coburn-sebelius-vote.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/coburn-sebelius-vote.php CONFIRMATIONS HHS Kathleen Sebelius Tom Coburn Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:49:00 GMT By JILL R. AITORO, Nextgov Google's chief executive officer is one of 20 individuals that will advise the president and vice president in formulating policy about science, technology and innovation. Eric Schmidt, Google chairman of the board and CEO, is the only person named to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST, that comes directly from the information technology community. Prior to joining Google in 2001, he held executive positions at Novell and Sun Microsystems. Schmidt will join experts in the areas of nanotechnology, oceanography, climate-change science and ecology, and solar system exploration, to name a http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/google-ceo.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/google-ceo.php APPOINTMENTS Eric Schmidt PCAST Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:15:00 GMT By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved nominees Monday to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at the Homeland Security Department. W. Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, was approved as FEMA administrator, and John Morton, a longtime Justice Department official, was approved to be assistant secretary of ICE. Both nominations were approved by unanimous voice votes and should be on the Senate floor soon. http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/fema-ice-nominees.php http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/fema-ice-nominees.php CONFIRMATIONS FEMA ICE John Morton W. Craig Fugate Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:48:00 GMT