After nearly three months alone at the USDA, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is on the verge of being joined by a Biden appointee with sub-cabinet rank. On a voice vote with no objections, the Senate Agriculture Committee cleared Jewel Bronaugh on Monday for a floor vote to become deputy agriculture secretary.

Amid a global pandemic, a presidential election, and an economic crisis, Joe Biden asked me to begin planning a presidential transition that could meet the historic challenges and opportunities of the moment. Authoring the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010, I knew the challenge this would be. 

The Biden administration is winning praise because it managed to get 44 appointees through Senate confirmation and into their offices by its 100th day.

Within hours of his inauguration, President Joe Biden had staffed around 1,100 key federal appointments, an unprecedented  number that speaks to the excellent work of his personnel team during a difficult transition. Yet this accomplishment was only possible because the roles did not require Senate confirmation.