Trump turns to Congress for Cabinet picks, whittling away at slim margins

WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has so far picked four Republican members of the US Congress to join his administration, at least temporarily whittling away at the narrow majorities his party will hold in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and are also on track to have a majority of at least 219 seats in the 435-member US House, with three races still uncalled. But Trump’s picks will temporarily erode that House majority early next year, leaving the party a narrow path to pass legislation.

Trump’s running-mate JD Vance, the junior senator from Ohio, will have to resign his Senate seat sometime before he is sworn in as vice president on Jan 20. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, is expected to appoint a replacement to hold Vance’s seat until a special election is held in 2026.

Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would first need to have his nomination approved by the Senate where he now serves. If confirmed, the governor of his home state of Florida, fellow Republican Ron DeSantis, will name a temporary replacement to serve until a 2026 election.

Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik of New York, would also need Senate confirmation. Her seat in the House would remain vacant until a special election, scheduled by Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, is held and which by law would need to take place 70 to 80 days after Stefanik leaves the House.

Trump’s pick for White House national security adviser, Michael Waltz, would not need Senate confirmation and is expected to resign from his seat and begin his new role at the start of the new Trump administration. Firebrand Florida congressman Matt Gaetz was Trump’s first pick for US attorney general; however, Gaetz has since removed himself from consideration after his nomination faced some opposition from Republican senators. Nonetheless, Gaetz resigned from Congress and said he does not intend to return for the new legislative term, so the Republican House majority will have to deal with this vacancy until DeSantis calls a special election to fill his seat.