How complicated is the Senate confirmation process?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the visual above, what different government agencies are involved in background checks for presidential nominees?
According to the visual above, after Senate committees report on nominees what happens next?
According to the visual above, what percent or portion in a Senate vote is necessary for a nominee to be approved?
Article II, Section ii of the U.S. Constitution lays out the rules of nomination and confirmation: He shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States. The Appointments Clause allows the President to make nominations for appointed positions like cabinet officers, but the Senate controls the process, including the rules that allow a nomination vote to get to the full Senate floor. What concept of American government and politics is illustrated by the role of both the President and the Senate in presidential nominee approvals?
In many democratic political systems, such as a parliamentary system, because the chief executive (Prime Minister) controls a majority of the legislature they are able to immediately name and implement a cabinet. What would James - Ambition must be made to counteract ambition - Madison, author of Federalist No. 51, think about a system where the chief executive (Prime Minister) has unchecked power?
Whenever a U.S. president nominates someone to fill a position in his administration — whether it’s just after the election or another time during his term in office — that nominee’s appointment must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Somewhere between 1,200 and 1,400 government positions require confirmation. This process is time consuming. Do you think the U.S. government and political system would be better if we removed Senate confirmation hearings?
The Senate, which scrutinizes and approves candidates in a process described in the Constitution as “advice and consent,” typically holds hearings with national security and law enforcement nominees first because of the sensitivity and urgency of their work. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s selection for defense secretary is among more than a dozen candidates who will be questioned by lawmakers this week. If confirmed, Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Secretary of Defense will be in charge of the world’s most powerful military with a budget of $850 billion and a force of 2.86 million people. Mr. Hegseth, was grilled (not literally) by the Senate Armed Services Committee which was divided by party on whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate. Considering the high level of party-line voting (Republican and Democrats sticking together on all votes), with a current Senate division of 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats do you think Pete Hegseth will be confirmed for Secretary of Defense?
A Senate hold is an informal practice by which a senator informs Senate leadership that he or she does not wish a particular measure or nomination to reach the floor for consideration. A hold is how a senator informally signals objection to a bill or nomination. The holds don’t prevent nominees from being confirmed, but they force extra steps in a Senate that already moves at a leisurely pace. The backup burns through time on the Senate calendar and forces Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R) of South Dakota to make tough choices about what will see a vote. In general, do you think a single Senator should have enough power to thwart the will of the president - the only democratically elected official representing all the people?
“Our system is broken,” said Max Stier, the CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “We have a Senate that was designed for a different era, the equivalent of the country road and the world around it has become a major urban center and it can’t manage the traffic that is now trying to go down it.” Describe how you would update the nomination system if you were in charge?
Imagine you were a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee tasked with deciding on Pete Hegseth’s nomination. Explain whether you would vote to confirm him?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Contact your U.S. Senators and let them know what you think about the nomination of Pete Hegseth.
Get Creative
Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Secretary of Defense has a tattoo of the Jerusalem cross: a large cross with four smaller crosses in the corners. It is a symbol of Christianity, and its origins date back to the Crusades. Hegseth also has another Crusade related tattoo, of the words, deus vult - Latin for God wills it. And that was the battle cry to take back the Holy Land and to slaughter Muslims. One of Hegseth’s books is titled, "American Crusade." List a couple of tattoos that Pete Hegseth probably doesn’t have.
