Jan. 25 (UPI) — Kristi Noem was confirmed Saturday morning as the new U.S. secretary of Homeland Security by a 59-34 vote.
The 53-year-old former governor of South Dakota becomes the eighth person to lead the agency, following her confirmation. Lieutenant Gov. Larry Rhoden succeeded Noem as governor.
Noem is latest secretary to be sworn in under President Donald Trump.
“Thank you, Mr. President for the confidence in me to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. I will work to make America SAFE again!,” Noem said on X following Saturday’s vote.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was officially confirmed as Secretary of State by a 99-0 vote Monday. Former Illinois Rep. John Ratcliffe became the newest CIA director following a confirmation vote Thursday. And Pete Hegseth was confirmed as defense secretary on Friday.
Senators on Saturday voted 67-23 in favor of ending a filibuster delaying the confirmation of Scott Bessent to become Secretary of the Treasury. Bessent, a doctor, former hedge fund manager and major Trump donor, is expected to be confirmed during a vote Monday.
Noem, a former congresswoman and state legislator, will prioritize border security in her new role, calling it the biggest threat to the United States during her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee earlier in the month.
“President Trump needs to achieve this mission because two-thirds of Americans support his immigration and border policies, including the majority of Hispanic Americans,” Noem said during the hearing on Jan. 17.
“I was the first governor to send National Guard troops to our southern border when Texas asked for help and when they were being overwhelmed by an unprecedented border crisis. If confirmed as secretary, I’ll ensure that our exceptional, extraordinary Border Patrol agents have all the tools and resources and support that they need to carry out their mission.”
As secretary, Noem now oversees more than 260,000 employees across 22 federal agencies.
“As secretary, I will oversee the Secret Service, an agency that is in serious need of reforms. We all saw the threats to President-elect Trump last year and the consequences of failure,” she told the committee.
“Now, that should never happen again, and I’ve worked closely with my own gubernatorial protective detail, and I’m familiar with what works and what doesn’t work, and I’ll bring that experience towards strengthening the Secret Service.”