by Marsha Blackburn
Today, President Trump took the oath of office to become the 47th President of the United States of America.
For so many in Tennessee and across our country, this is a moment to rejoice. After four years of disastrous leadership from the Biden-Harris administration, we can finally get to work on lowering prices, securing our border, fighting crime, restoring military strength, and so much more.
Thankfully, Congress will work hand-in-hand with President Trump to carry out the mandate he earned from the American people, especially with Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate.
At the same time, the President will need a strong, capable, and experienced cabinet to enact his agenda. And if last week’s Senate nominee hearings are any sign, President Trump will have exactly that.
Across the board, the President’s nominees—from Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth to Marco Rubio and Sean Duffy—demonstrated that they are more than qualified to serve alongside the President and put our country back on track.
During Bondi’s testimony, President Trump’s pick for Attorney General promised to restore public confidence in the Justice Department and end the Left’s two-tiered justice system. Instead of engaging in partisan lawfare, the DOJ will focus on its core mission: “prosecuting violent crime and gang activity, stopping child predators and drug traffickers, protecting our nation from terrorists and other foreign threats, and addressing the overwhelming crisis at the border.”
Few people are better qualified for the task. With more than 18 years of experience as a prosecutor, Bondi became the first woman to serve as Attorney General of Florida in 2011. While there, she worked to protect the most vulnerable among us by taking on drug dealers and human traffickers. And during the first Trump administration, she worked to end our nation’s drug epidemic as a member of the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission.
Similarly, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, pledged during his testimony to be “laser focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness” to deter our adversaries and keep America safe. This will be a dramatic departure from the Biden administration, which has demoralized our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen with everything from anti-American DEI programs to weakness and appeasement abroad.
As a Bronze Star Medal recipient (and Tennessean) who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth knows exactly what our service members need to defend our freedoms. Under his leadership, the Defense Department will once again focus on its core mission: securing peace through strength.
Joining him in this effort will be Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, who served for 14 years as U.S. Senator for Florida, including atop the crucial Senate Intelligence Committee. During his testimony, Rubio vowed to uphold President Trump’s mandate to “promote peace abroad and security and prosperity here at home” by putting American interests first.
While restoring law and order and national security are essential, all of Trump’s cabinet members will play a big role in reversing the Biden administration’s failures. My good friend and former congressional colleague, Sean Duffy, for example, promised in his testimony to restore crumbling infrastructure such as roads and bridges, eliminate red tape that holds up vital infrastructure projects, and ensure safety and efficiency in air travel as Secretary of Transportation. In particular, Duffy told me that Upper East Tennessee will be his first stop as secretary to see the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and ensure that I-40 is promptly rebuilt.
With all the work ahead of us, it is imperative that the Senate confirm President Trump’s nominees as soon as possible. When we do, we can get right to work restoring the Golden Age of America.
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Republican Marsha Blackburn represents Tennessee in the United States Senate. After serving eight terms in the US House of Represenatives, she was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018.
Photo “Marcho Rubio” by Marco Rubio. Photo “Pete Hegseth” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
