# Obama's Cabinet picks are still designates, so whos working over there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-cabinet-picks-are-still-designates-so-whos-working-over-there/482327 "2009-01-21T17:55:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-cabinet-picks-are-still-designates-so-whos-working-over-there/482327/1 "2009-01-21T17:55:21Z")
As far as I know none of his cabinet has been through the Senate confirmation hoop, so other than Barack, Biden, Gates and Emanuel who’s on the job over there? ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-cabinet-picks-are-still-designates-so-whos-working-over-there/482327/2 "2009-01-21T18:00:29Z")
No, 7 were affirmed by voice vote yesterday. [Here](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003605.html) is an article with details. > [@](#): > > The seven nominees approved yesterday were Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter R. Orszag, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-cabinet-picks-are-still-designates-so-whos-working-over-there/482327/3 "2009-01-21T18:01:29Z")
It may vary by Department, but generally I think some other high-ranking official in the department holds the top spot temporarily. According to wikipedia, Deputy Attorney General [Mark Filip](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Filip) is now Acting Attorney General until Eric Holder is confirmed. Holder, incidentally, was Acting Attorney General between Janet Reno and John Ashcroft, having been Reno’s Deputy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-cabinet-picks-are-still-designates-so-whos-working-over-there/482327/4 "2009-01-21T18:10:13Z")
Remember, there are millions of career bureaucrats who will remain in their current positions (mostly) after the transition. It’s not like they’re all sitting around waiting for the boss to be confirmed; they’re doing their jobs in the assumption that most departmental policies and procedures will remain in place. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-cabinet-picks-are-still-designates-so-whos-working-over-there/482327/5 "2009-01-21T18:12:22Z")
There’s a law on the books called the Vacancies Act, which provides for the appointment of acting leadership of government departments when somebody dies or resigns. In general, if someone resigns, their deputy takes over. If that is not an option, then the President can designate someone who has been appointed and confirmed by the Senate to a leadership position to serve in an acting capacity in another post. (For example, Obama would be entirely within his power to say that Defense Secretary Gates is acting Secretary of State until Clinton is confirmed.) If that isn’t an appealing option, then the President can designate certain career bureaucrats within the particular agency to be the acting.