In a weekend deal, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid let up his block on 175 Bush nominees in exchange for a recess appointment of Reid's adviser on nuclear issues, Gregory Jaczko, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Also in the agreement, Republican nominee to the NRC, retired Nave Vice Adm. Albert H. Konetzni Jr., would get a seat on the commission. Konetzni is expect to become the commission chairman late next year. Several Democratic senators led by Sen James Jeffords (I-Vt.) had previously blocked the appointments of some EPA nominations, saying that EPA had been unresponsive to their requests for information on a variety of issues. These senators lifted their block on Nov. 19, allowing the nominations to go forward. Benjamin Grumbles was confirmed as the EPA assistant administrator for water. Grumbles has been the acting assistant administrator since G. Tracy Mehan resigned in January. Three recess appointments to EPA were confirmed by the senate. Ann Klee was confirmed as the EPA general counsel. Klee was appointed to the position by Bush in August during recess. Klee had previously served as senior adviser to Interior Secretary Gale Norton before being nominated to the EPA position last February. She replaces Robert Fabricant, who left in July 2003. Stephen Johnson was confirmed as EPA deputy administrator, and Charles Johnson was confirmed as the chief financial officer. Johnson had previously served as the EPA assistant administrator for pollution prevention and toxic substances and replaces Linda Fisher, who left in July 2003. Charles Johnson, former chief of staff to EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt, when Leavitt was governor of Utah, was Utah's planning and budget officer before taking the post at the EPA. The New York Times reported that White House sources expect the resignations of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. Two high level economic positions within the White House are also opening up. Stephen Friedman, the current director of the National Economic Council will be stepping down, and N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers is expected to depart early next year. According to the Washington Post, administration officials are looking to replace Mankiw with Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor James Poterba, an expert on Social Security and tax matter. They are also looking at Stanford University's John Cogan to join the economic team. No replacement has been announced for Friedman, but sources have pointed to a few likely candidates, including Tim Adams, a former Treasury Department chief of staff and policy director of Bush's reelection campaign. Adams is also seen as a likely candidate for deputy White House chief of staff. Other possible replacements are "former senator Phil Gramm (R-Tex.), publisher Steve Forbes or a top business leader, such as Fred Smith, chairman of FedEx Corp. Also under consideration is investment banker Gerald Parsky, who served on Bush's Social Security commission, and Indiana businessman Al Hubbard, a longtime friend of the Bush family," according to the Washington Post. Brian Roseboro, Treasury's undersecretary for domestic finance, has announced his intention to step down Dec. 31.