Nomination Process
What is the Nomination Process?
The incoming Trump administration will have to fill 4,000 political positions in the federal government. More than 1,000 of these positions — including cabinet secretaries and agency heads, deputy secretaries, assistant secretaries, and ambassadors — require Senate confirmation. Other positions in the White House or in departments and agencies are presidential appointments that do not require Senate confirmation.
For presidential appointments requiring Senate confirmation, after nomination by the president, the White House transmits the nomination to the Senate, which then takes the following steps:
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Committee process: The Senate will refer each nomination to a committee with relevant jurisdiction over the appointment (e.g., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for ambassadors and State Department positions, the Finance Committee for Department of the Treasury positions, and the Senate Armed Services Committee for Department of Defense positions).
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Meetings with senators and staff: Depending on the seniority of the position or public profile of the candidate, senators and/or committee staff may want to meet with the nominee prior to a confirmation hearing and may ask the nominee about policy positions or background issues. The nominee must prepare carefully for each such meeting to address different concerns raised by each senator and his/her staff, including regarding the nominee’s policy perspectives, past statements, and relevant background.
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Senate questionnaire: Many Senate committees have their own questionnaires for the confirmation process. The transition team/White House questionnaire likely includes most of the questions in the committee’s version, but information may need to be reorganized and answers restructured or expanded upon to ensure that the candidate sufficiently answers each question posed by the Senate. Committee practice varies, but some committees may make these questionnaires public.
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Confirmation hearing and vote: Generally, the committee will have a public hearing on the nomination at which time the nominee will testify and answer questions. The nominee will need to prepare a short written and oral statement and must carefully prepare before testifying. Depending on the position, the committee may consider several nominees during one hearing. The committee also may hear from other individuals supporting or opposing the nomination. After the hearing, individual senators may send the candidate written questions for the record. The committee then will vote on whether to send the nomination to the full Senate.
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Floor debate and vote: If the committee votes out the nomination, it will go to the full Senate for consideration. Cabinet-level officials and nominees with controversial backgrounds will receive a recorded vote, while many lower-ranking officials may be approved by unanimous consent without debate.
WATCH FOR: Trump has suggested that he may make recess appointments to circumvent the Senate approval process. Here is how the public views this idea.
