South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem

Gov. Kristi Noem confirmed as next DHS secretary

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been confirmed as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a Senate vote on Saturday morning.

Noem received 59 votes in favor and 34 votes against, easily clearing the simply majority threshold she needed for confirmation. The 53-year-old governor passed the Senate’s, which allows the chamber to review and approve presidential cabinet nominees.

President Donald Trump selected Noem for the role based on her strong stance on immigration. She has been a loyal supporter of Trump.

Historically, cabinet nominees normally received bipartisan support in the Senate, but in recent years, increasing partisanship has made confirmation votes more uncertain. Friday night, Vice President JD Vance had to break a 50-50 tie to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, after three Republicans defected to vote with all of the Democrats.

Noem’s confirmation appeared likely after a favorable hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Jan. 17. The committee voted 13-2 to recommend her confirmation, with several Democrats there voting to advance Noem’s nomination.

DHS employs more than 260,000 people and oversees federal organizations like the Coast Guard, Secret Service, FEMA, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

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