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Confirmation process for Chris Wright for secretary of energy

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First term: Transition • Confirmation process for Cabinet nominees • Cabinet • Administration

President-elect Donald Trump (R) announced energy executive Chris Wright as his nominee for secretary of energy on November 16, 2024.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing for Wright on January 15, 2025.[1] The Senate voted 59-38 to confirm Wright on February 3, 2025.[2] Click here to read more about the confirmation process.

Trump said of Wright's nomination, "Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy. He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics."[3]

This page includes the following information about the confirmation process:

Confirmation process

See also: Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

Confirmation vote roll call

See also: How senators voted on Trump Cabinet nominees, 2025

The Senate voted 59-38 to confirm Wright on February 3, 2025.[4]

Summary of Senate vote on Chris Wright's nomination for secretary of energy (February 3, 2025)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 7 37 1
Republican Party Republicans 51 0 2
Grey.png Independents 1 1 0
Totals 59 38 3


Seven Democrats and one independent who caucuses with Democrats voted in favor of Wright's nomination:



Senate confirmation hearing

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing for Wright on January 15, 2025.[5]

Chris Wright's Senate confirmation hearing, January 15, 2025

Financial disclosures

The Office of Government Ethics released Wright's financial disclosures in January 2025. Click here to review them.

About the nominee

Wright received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also studied electrical engineering as a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley.[6] Wright founded Pinnacle Technologies, a fracking company, in 1992, and worked as chairman of Stroud Energy, a shale gas production company until 2006.[7] In 2010, Wright founded Liberty Energy, where he served as chief executive officer until 2024.[3]


About the confirmation process

See also: Appointment confirmation process

The confirmation process includes several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy. Supporters and opponents of the nominee may also testify.[8]

Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation. The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.[9]

About the Cabinet

A presidential Cabinet is a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies. The Cabinet tradition is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that the president "may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices."[10]

While not explicitly identified in the Constitution, the Cabinet secretaries are the 15 agency heads who are in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also part of the Cabinet. These positions, in order of presidential succession, are:

The number of officials in a Cabinet can vary across presidential administrations. The following additional positions are part of Trump's second term presidential Cabinet:

All of the positions above, except for Vice President and White House Chief of Staff, require Senate confirmation.

Other Trump Cabinet nominees

See also: Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 and Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

The following table provides an overview of the status, confirmation hearings, and committee and Senate votes for each of Trump's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees in his second term.

Overview of confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees in his second term
Nominee Position Announced Senate committee Confirmation hearing Committee vote Senate vote Status
Marco Rubio Secretary of State November 13, 2024 Foreign Relations January 15, 2025 Favorable (22-0) 99-0 Confirmed on January 20, 2025
Scott Bessent Secretary of the Treasury November 22, 2024 Finance January 16, 2025 Favorable (16-11) 68-29 Confirmed on January 27, 2025
Pete Hegseth Secretary of Defense November 12, 2024 Armed Services January 14, 2025 Favorable (14-13) 51-50 Confirmed on January 24, 2025
Matt Gaetz Attorney General November 13, 2024 Judiciary N/A N/A N/A Withdrawn on November 21, 2024
Pam Bondi Attorney General November 21, 2024 Judiciary January 15-16, 2025 Favorable (12-10) 54-46 Confirmed on February 4, 2025
Doug Burgum Secretary of the Interior November 14, 2024 Energy and Natural Resources January 16, 2025 Favorable (18-2) 80-17 Confirmed on January 30, 2025
Brooke Rollins Secretary of Agriculture November 23, 2024 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry January 23, 2025 Favorable (23-0) 72-28 Confirmed on February 13, 2025
Howard Lutnick Secretary of Commerce November 19, 2024 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 29, 2025 Favorable (16-12) 51-45 Confirmed on February 18, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemer Secretary of Labor November 22, 2024 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 19, 2025 Favorable (13-9) 67-32 Confirmed on March 10, 2025
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Secretary of Health and Human Services November 14, 2024 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance		 January 30, 2025 / January 29, 2025 N/A / Favorable (14-13) 52-48 Confirmed on February 13, 2025
Scott Turner Secretary of Housing and Urban Development November 22, 2024 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs January 16, 2025 Favorable (13-11) 55-44 Confirmed on February 5, 2025
Sean Duffy Secretary of Transportation November 18, 2024 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 15, 2025 Favorable (28-0) 77-22 Confirmed on January 28, 2025
Chris Wright Secretary of Energy November 16, 2024 Energy and Natural Resources January 15, 2025 Favorable (15-5) 59-38 Confirmed on February 3, 2025
Linda McMahon Secretary of Education November 19, 2024 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 13, 2025 Favorable (12-11) 51-45 Confirmed on March 3, 2025
Doug Collins Secretary of Veterans Affairs November 14, 2024 Veterans' Affairs January 21, 2025 Favorable (18-1) 77-23 Confirmed on February 4, 2025
Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security November 12, 2024 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs January 17, 2025 Favorable (13-2) 59-34 Confirmed on January 25, 2025
Jamieson Greer U.S. Trade Representative November 26, 2024 Finance February 6, 2025 Favorable (15-12) 56-43 Confirmed on February 26, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard Director of National Intelligence November 13, 2024 Intelligence (Select) January 30, 2025 Favorable (9-8) 52-48 Confirmed on February 12, 2025
Elise Stefanik U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations November 11, 2024 Foreign Relations January 21, 2025 Favorable (Voice Vote) N/A Withdrawn on March 27, 2025
Michael Waltz U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations May 1, 2025 Foreign Relations July 15, 2025 Favorable (12-10) TBD Passed committee
Russell Vought Director of the Office of Management and Budget November 22, 2024 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget January 15, 2025 / January 22, 2025 Favorable (8-7) / Favorable (11-0) 53-47 Confirmed on February 6, 2025
Lee Zeldin Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency November 11, 2024 Environment and Public Works January 16, 2025 Favorable (11-8) 56-42 Confirmed on January 29, 2025
Kelly Loeffler Administrator of the Small Business Administration December 4, 2024 Small Business and Entrepreneurship January 29, 2025 Favorable (12-7) 52-46 Confirmed on February 19, 2025
John Ratcliffe Director of the Central Intelligence Agency November 12, 2024 Intelligence (Select) January 15, 2025 Favorable (14-3) 74-25 Confirmed on January 23, 2025


Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations

Comparison to Biden administration

See also: Joe Biden's Cabinet

The following chart displays how many days it took for the Cabinet secretaries of President Joe Biden (D) to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2021. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Trump's first term

See also: Donald Trump presidential Cabinet, 2017-2021

The following chart displays how many days it took for President Donald Trump's (R) first term Cabinet secretaries to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2017. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Obama administration

The following chart displays how many days it took for the Cabinet secretaries of President Barack Obama (D) to be confirmed after the inauguration in 2009. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.


List of secretaries of energy, 1977-2024

See also: U.S. Department of Energy
Recent Secretaries of Energy
Secretary of Energy Years in office Nominated by Confirmation vote
Bill Richardson 1998-2001 Bill Clinton 100-0
Spencer Abraham 2001-2005 George W. Bush N/A (voice vote)[11]
Samuel W. Bodman 2005-2009 George W. Bush N/A (voice vote)[12]
Steven Chu 2009-2013 Barack Obama N/A (voice vote)[13]
Ernest Moniz 2009-2017 Barack Obama 97-0
Rick Perry 2017-2019 Donald Trump 62-37
Dan Brouillette 2019-2021 Donald Trump 70-15
David Huizenga (acting) 2021-2021 Joe Biden
Jennifer Granholm 2021-2025 Joe Biden 64-35
Ingrid Kolb (acting) 2025-Present Donald Trump N/A


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, "Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Mr. Chris Wright to be Secretary of Energy," January 15, 2025
  2. ↑ X, "Senate Press Gallery on February 3, 2025," accessed February 3, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 4President, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Chris Wright as United States Secretary of Energy," accessed November 16, 2024
  4. ↑ Senate.gov, "Roll Call Vote 119th Congress - 1st Session," accessed February 4, 2025
  5. ↑ Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, "Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Mr. Chris Wright to be Secretary of Energy," January 15, 2025
  6. ↑ ABC News, "What to know about Trump's energy secretary nominee Chris Wright," November 16, 2024
  7. ↑ Associated Press, "Trump names fossil fuel executive Chris Wright as energy secretary," November 17, 2024
  8. ↑ CRS Report for Congress, "Senate Confirmation Process: An Overview," accessed July 24, 2013
  9. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 4, 2019
  10. ↑ Constitution Center, "Presidential Advisors," accessed November 18, 2020
  11. ↑ U.S. Senate, "George W. Bush Cabinet Nominations," accessed August 17, 2018
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Bush
  13. ↑ U.S. Senate, "Obama cabinet nominations," accessed August 17, 2018
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