DemDaily: The Confirmation Count

February 9, 2017

As his third week in office comes to a close, President Trump has the fewest confirmed Cabinet picks than the past 11 Presidents combined.

The Cabinet includes the heads of 15 Executive Departments and now seven "Cabinet-level" positions, as well as the Vice President and White House Chief-of-Staff.

The Process

Photo: The Atlantic

• Submitted first for review by the Senate Committee relevant to the nominee's department, which:
• Conducts public Confirmation Hearings on the nominee's credentials and policy positions.
• If a majority of the 21-member committee approves, the nomination is "voted out" of Committee to the full Senate for a "floor" vote.
• Full Senate Vote: A simple majority (51) is required to confirm. If the vote is tied 50-50, the Vice President casts the tiebreaking vote.

With the first tie-breaking nomination vote in history cast by a Vice President, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as Education Secretary Tuesday. Similarly, a 30 hour gauntlet of speeches by Senate Dems in protest of Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions, ended in defeat with his confirmation Wednesday.

The Senate has not formally rejected a Cabinet nominee since President George H.W. Bush's 1989 nomination of John Tower for Defense Secretary, but that does not include those that never make it to Committee Hearings. So far only one of Trump's nominees has dropped out - Vincent Viola, the Donald's pick for Secretary of the Army (non-cabinet), due to business conflicts.

Of the remaining 14 Cabinet or Cabinet-Level posts, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Tom Price is expected to be the most contentious due to investment conflicts of interest.