Appointments and Transition Senate Confirmation

Transcript:Appointments and Transition Senate Confirmation:
Appointments and Transition Senate Confirmation Research Jan. 5, 2021 overall_0_132385165610692178 columns_1_132385165610692178 overall_0_132385230267195286 columns_1_132385168458365425 Challenges within Senate confirmation process A president is responsible for making about 1,250 political appointments requiring Senate confirmation. The Senate confirmation process takes twice as long today as the did during the Reagan administration. 115 days compared with 56 days. On average, a new president sends about 700 nominations to the Senate in their first year. The Senate confirmed 521 George W. Bush appointees in 2001, the most first year confirmations of the last six presidents. Trump had 321 confirmations, while Obama had 463. overall_0_132385230267195286 columns_1_132385168458365425 Traditionally, early nominations are confirmed quickly The last four presidents averaged 29 announcements for Senate-confirmed positions during their transition periods. On average, 18 nominees receive pre-inauguration hearings, including 49 out of 56 of Cabinet secretary nominees. Nominees who receive pre-inaugural hearing are confirmed on average five times faster than other nominees announced during transition. In the last 28 years, the Senate has confirmed 95% of the president’s first cabinet secretary nominations announced during the pre-inaugural period. Very few nominations are withdrawn – usually one to two nominees per president. For Clinton, Bush and Obama, 84% of Cabinet secretaries announced before Inauguration Day were confirmed in an average of 2.4 days. Agency heads have traditionally been confirmed quickly Source: Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition analysis of data from Congress.gov, Senate.gov and media reports. Note: Does not include Cabinet officials who were held over from the previous administration or who were announced but never officially submitted to the Senate. Includes the secretaries of the 15 statutory Cabinet departments. overall_1_132391455237238665 columns_1_132391455237238665 Cabinet secretaries announced during the transition period (Officially submitted to the Senate) Appendix Appointment pace does not slow throughout year 1 1. This includes multiple nominations for concurrent positions (e.g. ambassador to the United Nations and ambassador to the United Nations Security Council; appointment to and chair of a board or commission, etc.) and nominations withdrawn and resubmitted regardless of reason. This also includes more than 150 nominations resubmitted by President George W. Bush following the adjournment of the Senate in Aug. 2001. Note: The date received in Senate is used to determine when a nomination was submitted, and the date of the latest action combined with the latest action are used to determine when the nomination is confirmed. Q1 is Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, Q2 is Apr. 1