Cabinet appointments create drama every four years, but it’s extremely rare for a candidate to lose a vote in the Senate.
Cabinet nominees are often withdrawn if it becomes clear that they cannot be confirmed, rather than face the humiliation of being rejected by the Senate.
Every recent president since Bill Clinton has declined at least one of his original nominees. Zoe Baird, Mr. Clinton’s original nominee for attorney general, withdrew her nomination after admitting to hiring an illegal immigrant to monitor children.
Here are the details of the verification process:
What is the Cabinet? The president leads the federal government with the help of a group of aides and the heads of federal agencies such as the Justice Department and the Defense Department. Some cabinet positions, such as the vice president and White House chief of staff, do not require Senate confirmation. But most people do.
Positions such as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and director of the CIA are at the cabinet level in some administrations, but not all. The current Cabinet under President Joe Biden has 26 members.
Role of the Senate: Article 2 is the executive branch of the Constitution. Section II states that while the President is the executive branch, he employs certain positions specified in the Constitution and other positions established by law with the “advice and consent” of the senators. is made clear. The President may make temporary appointments when the Senate is in recess.
Nomination Process Timeline: In modern times, president-elects nominate executive candidates as soon as possible after winning an election. Planning should ideally begin before Election Day.
The Senate Oversight Committee could hold confirmation hearings before Inauguration Day on January 20th. When the new president takes the oath of office, the nominee can be referred to the full Senate or an immediate vote can be taken. But things often take longer.
Recommendations take longer than before. The two parties have become even more at odds over the process after Democratic senators pushed through a rule change in 2013 that eliminated filibusters from confirming administration officials.
Read more about the Senate’s Cabinet confirmation process.
