(The Center Square) – Dan Bishop, former congressman from North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, ceremonially pledged his oath of office on Wednesday in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House.
He was sworn in by Mark Meadows, former congressman from the Tarheel State in the 11th Congressional District and previously chief of staff in the first Trump administration. His wife Jo held the Bible.
Bishop, chosen Dec. 11 by President Donald Trump, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate 53-45 on March 26.
Bishop’s confirmation hearing was Feb. 25 before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs led by Chairman Dr. Rand Paul, R-Ky., with Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., introducing him. He was poised when questioned by Democrats, and well-received by Republicans on the panel.
Bishop won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in a 2019 election do-over, was reelected in 2020 and 2022, and this past November lost to Democrat Jeff Jackson in the quest to be attorney general in North Carolina. The difference was just 159,549 votes of more than 5.5 million cast, with Bishop winning 76 of 100 counties and Jackson holding an upper hand in urban areas.
According to the White House website, the Office of Management and Budget has five functions across executive departments and agencies. These include but are not limited to oversight of agency performance; clearance of presidential executive orders; and development and execution of budgets.
Unmistakable in this administration has been the gathering of what is easily described as disruptors to fill positions in the administration. The ceremony Wednesday was on par, with Bishop and Meadows former members of the Freedom Caucus and each unafraid to stand out from party brethren.
Meadows, in fact, was about a decade ago considered among those more frequent than others to break from Republican ranks on voting matters. He filed a resolution to relieve Speaker John Boehner of his post in 2015; endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2016 presidential campaign; was considered a Tea Party Republican in helping found the Freedom Caucus in 2017; and following the 2020 presidential election was one of 19 charged in Georgia with trying to change the results in favor of Trump.
