Tipsheet

Sean Duffy Easily Confirmed for Secretary of Transportation, Despite Temper Tantrum From Dems

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  January 28, 2025 3:45 PM

On Tuesday afternoon, Sean Duffy was confirmed as President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Transportation, which Ward Clark at our sister site of RedState fittingly referred to as an "UPGRADE" over former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg under the Biden administration. The vote was 77-22, so Duffy was easily confirmed, though this was a slight change from the cloture vote from Monday night in the Senate of 97-0. He's the fifth of Trump's picks to be confirmed. 

All 53 Republican senators voted in favor of Duffy's nomination, as did 23 Democrats, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a fellow Wisconsinite who also introduced the new secretary during his confirmation hearing earlier this month. 

Among those "no" votes included Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) did not vote. 

So, what changed from Monday night to Tuesday afternoon? Democrats were reportedly irked by a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Tuesday morning that paused federal grants and loans, as Chad Pergram shared over X and his reports. 

As streiff, also writing for our sister site of RedState, highlighted, this is a "temporary pause" and is pending "a thorough agency review" for compliance. It also refers to Trump's executive orders as authority for doing so. 

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"To implement these orders, each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that maybe implicated by any of the President’s executive orders. In the interim, to the extent permissible under applicable law, Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal," the memo mentions.

As streiff also pointed out, such a memo "does not affect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans and grants, or social safety net payments to individuals, though some leftist politicians will undoubtedly make that claim."

Duffy isn't even in charge of OMB, as that would be Russ Vought, should he be confirmed. Make no mistake, though, Democrats are also ranting and raving against Vought, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) chief among them. 

As Pergram alluded to, there are more confirmation votes ahead that could potentially be more challenging, not only for Vought, but also for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of Health & Human Services and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to serve as the Director of National Intelligence. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), however, has warned that the chamber is "going to continue to grind and grind and grind" and they're willing to "do that through the weekend if necessary."