Angela Zaydon is the Association’s state government relations representative in Harrisburg. Contact her at 717/525-7213 or azaydon@mbausa.org.
Cabinet secretaries are tasked with implementing the president’s vision and agenda. Here is a list of President Trump’s appointees, including profiles of four Cabinet selections that the Manufacturer & Business Association believes are important to manufacturing and business. These departments have a direct impact on how businesses and manufacturers run day-to-day operations. The leaders of these departments will shape the direction they take over the next four years.
Secretary of State – Rex Tillerson
Tillerson joined Exxon in 1975 as a production engineer and rose to become chief executive officer of one of America’s great companies, employing more than 70,000 people. His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice to implement President Trump’s America First agenda on the world stage.
In his new role as America’s top diplomat, Tillerson will be in charge of advancing America’s core national interests, promoting regional stability, and working to ease tensions around the world while maintaining America’s national security.
Tillerson is a world-class deal-maker. He has completed successful multilateral and bilateral negotiations on deals involving many countries. He has earned a reputation for being a tough yet honest negotiator. His relationships in some countries extend back multiple administrations and regimes. He believes that the we should maintain good relationships with any countries and leaders who desire a good relationship with us and are verified to be acting in good faith.
Secretary of Transportation – Elaine Chao
Chao is the former Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush. She was the first Asian American woman to serve at this level of government. Her credentials are impressive.
In addition to her experience as a former Secretary of Labor, her experience as the deputy maritime administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation and as the chair of the Federal Maritime Commission make her a great fit for this position.
The Secretary of Transportation serves as the principal adviser to the president in all matters relating to federal transportation programs. The Office of the Secretary oversees the formulation of national transportation policy and promotes intermodal transportation. As secretary, Chao will be responsible for the key agencies within the Department of Transportation including the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Maritime Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration.
Secretary of Health and Human Services – Tom Price
Congressman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on quality health-care policy, making him the ideal choice to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He authored the Empowering Patients First Act, legislation to fully repeal ObamaCare and
replace it with patient-centered solutions.
For nearly 20 years, Price worked in private practice as an orthopedic surgeon, then as a professor at Emory University Medical School before being elected to Congress. He is chairman of the House Budget Committee, giving him a deep understanding of the budgetary impact of U.S. health-care policy. He has served as chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee and chairman of the Republican Study Committee, two posts in which he was elected by his colleagues to lead the charge on crafting conservative policy solutions. Price is a fierce opponent of government waste and is devoted to limited government and lower spending.
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency – Scott Pruitt
Pruitt’s background as an expert in Constitutional law, his record as one of the country’s top attorneys general, and his deep understanding of the impact of regulations on both the environment and the economy make him a key choice to lead the EPA.
Pruitt has been a national leader against President Obama’s job-killing war on coal. As Oklahoma’s attorney general, he established the state’s first “federalism unit” to combat unwarranted regulation and overreach by the federal government. He believes states should have the sovereignty to make many regulatory decisions for their own markets. Pruitt has consistently held the position that the issue of global warming is subject to considerable debate (This is not an argument about
whether the climate is changing, but what is causing those changes, and that the argument must be founded on sound science).
Pruitt plans to be intimately involved in the implementation of President Trump’s energy plan, which is expected to move America toward energy independence, create millions of new jobs, and protect clean air and clean water.
President Trump’s Cabinet appointments, as of press time:
- Vice President: Indiana Governor Mike Pence
- Chief of Staff: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
- Chief White House Strategist: Trump Campaign CEO Steve Bannon
- Attorney General: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions
- Housing and Urban Development Secretary: Dr. Ben Carson
- Health and Human Services Secretary: Georgia Congressman Tom Price
- Transportation Secretary: Elaine Chao, former Labor Secretary for George W. Bush
- Education Secretary: Betsy DeVos
- Treasury Secretary: Steven Mnuchin
- Commerce Secretary: Wilbur Ross
- Defense Secretary: General James Mattis
- Secretary of State: Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson
- Secretary of Labor: Alexander Acosta
- Homeland Security Secretary: General John Kelly
- Interior Secretary: Navy SEAL and Congressman Ryan Zinke
- Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt
- Small Business Administration Administrator: Former WWE Executive Linda McMahon
