Many Cabinet Positions Remain Open In Trump Administration
Now to uncertainty in Washington.  President Trump  had lunch today with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And that might not seem unusual in other circumstances  but there's been a lot of speculation lately about how long Tillerson will stay in  his  job. If  he  leaves the  Trump  administration   his  won't be the only vacant seat at the table. Two Cabinet posts are now open. And at the sub-Cabinet level  there's an even more severe staffing shortage. NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith reports.
TAMARA KEITH  BYLINE: Compared with past administrations   President Trump  was relatively quick to nominate Cabinet secretaries  and all were confirmed by the end of April. But then July 31 Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly suddenly left the post to become White House chief of staff.  The president  has yet to nominate a successor at Homeland Security. With Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's resignation last month  that leaves two open Cabinet positions.
STIER: And of  those President Trump  has only about a quarter that are actually in place. And we're nine months into  his  administration.
KEITH: The Senate has also been slow to confirm those who are nominated. But  Trump  said as recently as last Friday  he  has no intention of filling all the open positions. Press secretary Sarah Sanders says some jobs are in the process of being filled  but...
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS:  The president  came to Washington to drain the swamp and get rid of a lot of duplication and make government more efficient. And so if we can have one person do a job instead of six  then we certainly want to do that.
KEITH: There is no nominee for ambassador to Egypt  Saudi Arabia  Turkey or South Korea  no assistant secretary for arms control or assistant secretary for international security and nonproliferation  this while North Korea is testing ballistic missiles. And within days  Trump could announce a decision to upend the Iran nuclear deal  Pletka says.
Now to uncertainty in Washington.   [TGT] had lunch today with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And that might not seem unusual in other circumstances  but there's been a lot of speculation lately about how long Tillerson will stay in   [TGT]   job. If  he  leaves the   [TGT]   administration   his  won't be the only vacant seat at the table. Two Cabinet posts are now open. And at the sub-Cabinet level  there's an even more severe staffing shortage. NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith reports.
TAMARA KEITH  BYLINE: Compared with past administrations    [TGT] was relatively quick to nominate Cabinet secretaries  and all were confirmed by the end of April. But then July 31 Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly suddenly left the post to become White House chief of staff.   [TGT] has yet to nominate a successor at Homeland Security. With Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's resignation last month  that leaves two open Cabinet positions.
STIER: And of   [TGT] has only about a quarter that are actually in place. And we're nine months into   [TGT]   administration.
KEITH: The Senate has also been slow to confirm those who are nominated. But   [TGT] said as recently as last Friday   [TGT]   has no intention of filling all the open positions. Press secretary Sarah Sanders says some jobs are in the process of being filled  but...
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS:   [TGT] came to Washington to drain the swamp and get rid of a lot of duplication and make government more efficient. And so if we can have one person do a job instead of six  then we certainly want to do that.
KEITH: There is no nominee for ambassador to Egypt  Saudi Arabia  Turkey or South Korea  no assistant secretary for arms control or assistant secretary for international security and nonproliferation  this while North Korea is testing ballistic missiles. And within days   [TGT]  could announce a decision to upend the Iran nuclear deal  Pletka says.