Senate confirms Bolten as OMB director

The Senate confirmed Joshua Bolten as director of the Office of Management and Budget on June 27.

Bolten, former deputy chief of staff for policy at the White House, pledged at his confirmation hearing earlier this week to continue the Bush administration's emphasis on the management side of OMB and the budget.

He replaces Mitchell Daniels Jr., who left June 6 to return to Indiana where he is expected to run for governor. Many cited Daniels as the driving force behind the President's Management Agenda and stressed that his replacement must continue that momentum.

Although OMB still has no deputy director, Bolten joins Clay Johnson as the agency's top leader. The Senate confirmed Johnson as deputy director for management on June 11 after many delays.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and others on the committee emphasized the urgency of confirming Bolten before the July 4 recess. They sought to ensure that OMB had the leadership in place to work with Congress on upcoming appropriations bills.