Husted, the former lieutenant governor of Ohio, now holds the seat vacated by Vance, while Moody, the former attorney general of Florida, is succeeding Rubio. They join the ranks of 12 other freshman members, with their oath of office taking place hours after Vance was inaugurated as vice president.

On Tuesday morning, Vance swore Rubio in as secretary of state in a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Republicans will now have greater breathing room as they work to confirm the Cabinet nominees of President Donald Trump. 

Rubio was approved unanimously in a 99-0 Senate vote on Monday evening, with John Ratcliffe, Trump’s nominee for CIA director, expected to be confirmed with bipartisan support later on Tuesday. 

GOP margins will matter, however, for more controversial nominees, among them Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon.

Faced with allegations of drunken behavior and sexual misconduct, Hegseth barely cleared the Armed Services Committee on Monday and can only afford to lose three Republicans on the Senate floor.

Hegseth, who denies all allegations against him, will receive a confirmation vote as soon as this weekend, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) telling reporters on Tuesday that the Senate will be kept in session.

In the coming weeks, Senate Republicans will also attempt to pass part or all of Trump’s agenda through a budget process that allows them to sidestep the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold.

The border and defense portions of that agenda could move quickly, if Senate leadership has its way, but Trump has urged them to give the House space to pair those priorities with renewal of his 2017 tax cuts.

In a brief hallway interview, Husted promised to follow in the footsteps of Vance, one of Trump’s fiercest defenders on Capitol Hill before his resignation this month. Husted was joined by Vance and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) at his ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber.

“Remember, I got selected because J.D. became vice president, so I’m going to be an ally of President Trump and J.D. Vance and help them advance the America First agenda,” he told the Washington Examiner.

Moody, with family and lawmakers also in attendance, has similarly aligned herself with Trump, particularly on the border. She is seeking to move past her endorsement of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in the presidential primary last year.

Husted, 57, first entered politics in 2001 as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, becoming speaker just four years later.

He would serve a single term in the Ohio Senate before his election as secretary of state in 2011, a position he held for eight years.

Moody, 49, served six years as attorney general before her appointment to the Senate. She was a prosecutor and then circuit court judge before launching her political career in 2017.