David Fotouhi, Stephen Vaden and Andrew Hughes Become Deputy Leaders at EPA, USDA and HUD
All three were approved by party-lines votes in the Senate.
The U.S. Senate today held recorded votes to confirm three individuals nominated by President Donald Trump to serve in the executive branch of government - specifically in the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Housing & Urban Development.
In a 53-41 vote, David Fotouhi was confirmed as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The position has been held by three separate acting officials since October 2024, when Janet McCabe resigned after serving since April 2021.
Fotouhi was nominated to this position by Trump in January 2025. This marks his return to the Trump administration as he previously served in the EPA from March 2017 to January 2021 - including as Deputy General Counsel from March 2017 to September 2020 and as Acting General Counsel from September 2020 to January 2021.
Fotouhi’s legal career began as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Washington, D.C. from September 2011 to March 2017. He returned to the firm as a partner in February 2021 where he worked in environmental litigation representing companies accused of harming people and the environment through pollution.
In a 51-44 vote, Stephen Vaden was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. The position has been held by an acting official since January 2025, when Xochitl Torres Small resigned after serving since July 2023.
Vaden was nominated to this position by Trump in December 2024. Since December 2020, he has been a Judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade. His departure from that role will create the only vacancy on the court for Trump to fill at some point.
Vaden began his legal career as an associate at Squire Patton Boggs from January 2011 to July 2014 and at Jones Day from August 2014 to January 2017. He then joined the General Counsel’s office at the Department of Agriculture in January 2017. He became the Senate-confirmed General Counsel of the federal agency from November 2018 to January 2021.
In a 51-43 vote, Andrew Hughes was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The position has been vacant since January 2025, when Adrianne Todman resigned after serving since June 2021.
Hughes was nominated to this position by Trump in March 2025. Hughes entered politics working on Ben Carson and Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns in 2016. He then served during Trump’s entire first administration at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
When Hughes joined HUD in January 2017, he started as the department’s liaison to the White House. In May 2018, he was promoted to Chief of Staff - remaining in that position until January 2021. Outside of government, he remained with Carson as Executive Director of American Cornerstone Institute. In January 2025, Hughes returned to HUD to resume working as Chief of Staff.