Publications

(Not So) Privileged Nomination Calendar: Nominees in a streamlined Senate confirmation process are taking almost 50% longer to confirm than all other nominees   

May 24, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees,Congress,Data,National Security

Tags: national security,political appointments,Senate confirmation

(Not So) Privileged Nomination Calendar: Nominees in a streamlined Senate confirmation process are taking almost 50% longer to confirm than all other nominees   

The Senate created the privileged nomination process more than a decade ago, a procedure designed to speed up the confirmation of nominees for roughly 280 positions that are typically noncontroversial. Despite this well-intentioned effort, nominees on the privileged calendar are worse off today than they were before the reform was adopted.

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Slow Nominations and Confirmations Pose a Threat to National Security

May 24, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees,Congress,Data,National Security

Tags: national security,political appointments,Senate confirmation

Slow Nominations and Confirmations Pose a Threat to National Security

Data from the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition reveals chronic delays at nearly every step of the presidential nomination and congressional confirmation process—even for the national security positions that all stakeholders agree are essential to minimize threats during the first months of a new administration.

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Analyses of Senate Confirmation Hearings

February 16, 2021

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Congress,Vetting

The Center for Presidential Transition examined the transcripts from the Senate confirmation hearings of 23 Cabinet-level and agency head positions. We isolated and categorized questions from the confirmation hearings of the two most recent officials confirmed for each selected position.

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The Precedent for Pre-Inaugural Hearings

December 16, 2020

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees,Congress

Pre-inaugural hearings help ensure that a new president’s team is confirmed quickly and are ready to govern on day one. These hearings are traditionally granted to nominees for senior Cabinet positions and are essential at the start of a new administration.

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President Obama Cabinet Nominations Data

July 28, 2020

Publication Type: External Resource

Publication Tags: Appointees,Congress,Data

Data on President Barack Obama’s Cabinet nominations from the Senate. This includes nominees’ names and dates of their nomination announcement, hearing, received in the Senate and confirmation.

U.S. Senate
Senate Confirmation Process Slows to a Crawl

January 20, 2020

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Congress,Second term

Senate Confirmation Process Slows to a Crawl

New data from the Partnership for Public Service found that Senate confirmation of presidential appointees are taking longer than ever. Why it Matters A major presidential responsibility is to fill more than 1,200 political appointments requiring Senate confirmation. Few decisions have a greater impact on the success of an administration than the selection of its people....

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