[Photo:  Steven Mnuchin, by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AFP]

Donald Trump may prefer to operate with a small, close-knit group of advisors – particularly when he has relatives to help fill those ranks. However, as the NYTimes points out, it may prove difficult for his administration to push through a new tax code given the Treasury Department's skeletal leadership structure. Besides Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, none of the 27 other political appointees who staff the department’s leadership have been confirmed – and that includes assistant secretary of tax policy, a critical post for spearheading a rewrite of the tax code.

“There are no people in the driver’s seat,” said Paul O’Neill, first Treasury secretary in President George W. Bush's administration. “I think it’s really a big problem.”

That’s not to say that tax reform is ‘dead in the water’. Yes, Mnuchin has had to do more heavy lifting than one might expect of a person in his position. But he’s been able to work with people like Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic adviser, and several senior advisers who do not require congressional confirmations – such as:

• Justin Muzinich is advising on tax policy. He’s the former president of an investment firm, Muzinich & Company, as well as national policy director for Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign.
• Craig Phillips is advising on domestic policy – e.g., housing finance and financial regulation. He was with BlackRock and donated significant sums to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.