ADVERTISEMENT

Obama Trying to Fill Dozens of Federal Posts Before Trump's Inauguration

Barack Obama
AP
January 17, 2017

President Obama is rushing to fill almost 100 federal government vacancies, some requiring Senate confirmation, before he leaves office on Friday and Donald Trump enters the White House.

Obama has appointed 72 individuals to federal positions and another 17 for nominations that require Senate approval since New Year's Day, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

Several of the jobs are for White House officials who will remain in their posts after President-elect Trump takes office.

On Monday night, Obama announced the appointments of 27 people to government jobs and nominated two others for jobs that need Senate confirmation, the New York Post reported.

The positions that must be confirmed by the Senate include Todd Phillip Haskell, to be ambassador to the Congo, and Jason E. Kearns, to be a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Other vacancies, according to the Post, were be filled by:

Avril Haines, named a member of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service; Sarah Hurwitz, a speechwriter for Michelle Obama, and Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, a White House official, to be members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council; Christy Goldfuss, DJ Patil, Amy Pope, Dan Utech, and Cristin Dorgelo, all White House officials, to be members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.