Barrasso to honor "sherpas" who helped Trump's Cabinet get confirmed
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Sen. John Barrasso ) walks and talks with the media (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
A political organization associated with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso is hosting a reception Monday night to celebrate the "sherpas" who helped Trump's Cabinet get confirmed by the Senate.
Why it matters: Trump's Cabinet was confirmed in record time and senators want to honor the aides and advisers who helped make it happen.
- In addition to Barrasso (R-Wyo.), top Trump officials are expected to attend, according to people familiar with the matter.
Driving the news: The event is being hosted by the Senate Opportunity Fund, a 501(c)4 organization that Barrasso aides set up during the first Trump administration to help the Republican Conference hone its messaging.
- The effort is being led by Arjun Mody, a longtime Barrasso adviser, who was also involved in the confirmation of Pete Hegseth at the Defense Department, Kash Patel at the FBI and Frank Bisignano at the Social Security Administration.
Zoom out: Both parties use sherpas — typically former Senate staffers or actual senators — to help nominees navigate the confirmation process. (The term is also to refer to a country's top representative at G-20 summits.)
- President Trump's transition team started to put together a strategy in July on how to get their nominees confirmed by the Senate.
- Nominees were assigned confirming teams when they were named.
Zoom in: There's a debate among Trump advisers and old Senate hands on which sherpas has the hardest job in navigating the confirmation minefield and finding 50 votes.
- Atop the list are Eric Ueland (himself nominated to be the deputy at Office and Management and Budget), who helped Hegseth win a 51-50 confirmation vote, with Vice President Vance dramatically breaking the tie.
- Arthur Schwartz, an adviser to Donald Trump Jr., also helped with Hegseth, as well as Elbridge Colby. Schwartz also counseled Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll on his confirmation.
- Ken Nahigian, who led the Trump-Pence transition eight years ago, was instrumental in getting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary.
- Kristan Nevins, a top White House official in Trump's first term, was instrumental in getting Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed 52-48.
