One month has passed since Donald Trump became president, and as of this morning, the Senate has confirmed 18 of the 22 Cabinet or Cabinet-level positions, bringing his second administration’s Cabinet nearly full.
Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker of New Jersey have voted against almost all of those nominations, and neither of them seems particularly keen to back those who are still pending confirmation. In fact, both senators expressed disapproval of the few nominees they did support in the Senate.
Earlier this week, Kim told the immigration-focused publication Migrant Insider that the Trump administration’s efforts to close federal agencies and limit the scope of government would prevent him from voting for any more Trump candidates going forward. He told the New Jersey Globe that he was not in favor of it at this time at the Cabinet level.
Among them is Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee and Kim’s former House colleague. She has encountered some resistance from conservative Republicans and might require Democratic backing to pass the Senate. In his questioning of Chavez-DeRemer this morning on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Kim said that her responses regarding her plans to defend American workers lacked substance. (Kim stated that his promise does not necessarily extend to federal judgeships or sub-Cabinet appointments, as the Senate would probably start considering these when the Cabinet is finished.)
Regarding Trump’s Cabinet choices, Booker, the senior senator from New Jersey, stated that while he has been equally concerned by the administration’s initial acts, he did not go as far as Kim.
Due to Donald Trump’s actions, the amount of Cabinet members who have given over Americans’ private information, and the actions taken by [the Department of Government Efficiency], civil service laws and privacy laws have been violated. Booker stated, “I have a very deep, skeptical view of any nominees.” However, I continue to examine each one separately.
Both Booker and Kim supported CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was unanimously confirmed, as the first two nominees presented to the Senate. In addition, Booker supported Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, while Kim supported Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In each cases, the senators are members of the Senate committees that supervise the secretaries’ agencies.
Booker stated that regret is not the appropriate word when asked if he regretted any of his yes votes, but he did voice dissatisfaction of the acts they had taken thus far in office.
Booker stated, “I already have a lot of concerns about what some of them are doing.”
Kim was more direct, stating that he would vote against the three nominations he backed if they were up for Senate consideration today, now that he is aware of the full scope of the Trump administration’s goals.
I would vote against such nominations if they followed the precedent set by the funding freeze and the current lawlessness of DOGE’s operations, Kim stated. Since these nominees are facilitating and carrying out many of the illegal activities, I just cannot endorse them at this time.
Being one of just seven Democratic senators to back the fiery former South Dakota governor, Kim’s vote for Noem was particularly noteworthy. Even though he has lost a lot of faith in Noem and other Cabinet candidates, the senator still adheres to his earlier statement that he wanted to ensure he had an open channel of contact with a key agency during the Trump administration’s deportation efforts.
Kim stated, “I was being particularly open to supporting [nominees] on issues related to foreign policy or my committee work, as an indication of my willingness to find a working relationship.” I do believe that having at least one individual with direct access to the Secretary of Homeland Security is beneficial for New Jersey.
Naturally, they could still pass the Republican-controlled Senate even if every Democrat opposed every Cabinet nominee. For example, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received three Republican no votes and unanimous Democratic opposition, but he was confirmed by Vice President JD Vance’s game-changing vote. Opposing Cabinet nominees have largely been little more than a protest vote for Democrats.
Kim, however, described it as part of a multifaceted Democratic effort to educate the American people about what they see to be a lawless and reckless Trump administration and to persuade them to elect a Democratic Congress in 2026.
In terms of getting the gavel in one or both chambers, [flipping Congress] can be a game-changer, and we need to work toward that, Kim stated. However, we must make a concerted effort to make the most of what we have in the interim. Sometimes, from a communications perspective, that means trying to explain to the American people why we are so concerned, whether through voting, interviews, or other means.
He went on, “I try to get people to think of this as having multiple tools in the toolbox.”
