Executive Departments of the United States

Executive DepartmentsDepartment of State •Department of the Treasury •Department of Defense •Department of Justice •Department of the Interior •Department of Agriculture •Department of Commerce •Department of Labor •Department of Health and Human Services •Department of Housing and Urban Development •Department of Transportation •Department of Energy •Department of Education •Department of Veterans Affairs •Department of Homeland Security

Department SecretariesMarco Rubio •Scott Bessent •Pete Hegseth •Pam Bondi •Doug Burgum •Brooke Rollins •Lori Chavez-DeRemer •Robert F. Kennedy Jr. •Scott Turner •Howard Lutnick •Sean Duffy •Chris Wright •Linda McMahon •Doug Collins •Kristi Noem

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All presidential appointments requiringSenate confirmation (PAS) must follow theappointment confirmation process before taking office. Although the number of PAS positions varies by administration, it typically includes all executive department secretaries, undersecretaries, and inspectors general. Some roles in independent agencies and commissions also require confirmation.^[1] Recent administrations have included approximately 1,200 PAS positions.^[2][3][4] The full list of positions for each administration can be found in the correspondingUnited States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, commonly referred to as thePlum Book.^[5]

• Confirmation process overview for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2016-2017
• Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees
• Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

Confirmation process

Nomination

See also:Advice and Consent

Before any nominations are made, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel vets a list of candidates, including suggestions provided by members ofCongress and special interest groups.^[6] A chosen nominee then must pass through a series of investigations by theFederal Bureau of Investigation,Internal Revenue Service, the Office of Government Ethics and an ethics official from the agency to which the position is assigned.^[6] The nominee must also fill out the Public Financial Disclosure Report and questionnaires related to his or her background check.

The process begins when the president provides a written nomination to theSenate, where it is read on the floor and assigned a number.^[1] This starts the Senate's procedure of "Advice and Consent" laid out in Article II of theU.S. Constitution for the appointment of high ranking officials by the president.^[1]

Committee hearings

The nomination is passed to the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the appointed position. Some PAS positions require a joint hearing of two or more committees.^[1] Committee hearings allow a close examination of the nominee, looking for partisanship and views on public policy. They can also summon supporters and opponents to testify. Committees are permitted to conduct their own investigations into the nominees, as they are not always provided with the information gathered by the White House's investigation.^[1][6] Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably or without recommendation.^[1] They also have the option not to take action on the nominee. If action is taken, the committee notifies the executive clerk. The nomination is then given a number and added to the Executive Calendar of the Senate.^[1]

Only one cabinet position since 1945 has been confirmed by the Senate after being reported as unfavorable by a committee. Henry A. Wallace was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 56-32 to become the secretary of commerce on March 1, 1945.^[7][8]

Committee jurisdictions

The following table outlines jurisdiction of the Senate committees in terms of the presidential appointment confirmation process. The left column indicates the Senate committee, and the right indicates the federal departments and administrations over which the committee has jurisdiction.For more information on each committee, follow the link in the left column.

Senate hearings

The nomination must be on the Executive Calendar for more than one day before it can make it to the Senate floor for consideration.^[1] Unanimous consent of the time and date for debate must be agreed upon by all senators.^[6] If even one senator does not agree, ahold is placed on the nomination.^[6]

Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.^[10] If a nomination is left pending at the end of a Congress, it must be sent back to the president who can then re-submit the nomination to the new Congress.^[1] The same procedure holds true with any nominee not considered before the Senate enters a recess of more than 30 days, unless there is unanimous consent to bypass the procedure.^[6]

A Senate precedent change enacted in2025 allows the Senate to use a simple majority vote to move a bloc of certain types of executive nominations through this phase of the confirmation process. This rule does not apply to judicial or Cabinet-level positions.^[11]

Presidential notification

Finally, the Senate's action on the nomination is sent to the president. All results are recorded in theCongressional Record.^[1]

See also

• Advice and Consent
• Recess appointment
• Confirmation process overview for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2016-2017
• Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees
• Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025

External links

• United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book) 2024
• United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book) 2020
• United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book) 2016
• United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book) 2012

Footnotes

v • e U.S. Executive Branch Elected offices PresidentDonald Trump • Vice PresidentJ.D. Vance •Donald Trump presidential administration (second term) Executive Office of the President White House Press Secretary •Trump White House staff (second term) •Department of Government Efficiency •Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs •Office of Management and Budget Executive departments Department of Defense •Department of State •Department of Homeland Security •Department of Justice •Department of Commerce •Department of Education •Department of the Treasury •Department of Agriculture •Department of Energy •Department of Labor •Department of Transportation •Department of the Interior •Department of Health and Human Services •Department of Veterans Affairs •Department of Housing and Urban Development Cabinet-level agencies Environmental Protection Agency •Office of Management and Budget •U.S. Mission to the United Nations • Council of Economic Advisors •Small Business Administration •White House Chief of Staff •Central Intelligence Agency Department of Agriculture Forest Service Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) •National Security Agency Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences •National Center for Education Statistics Department of Energy Energy Information Administration Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality •Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry •Centers for Disease Control and Prevention •Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services •Food and Drug Administration Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services •Customs and Border Protection •Immigration and Customs Enforcement •Transportation Security Administration Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management •Fish and Wildlife Service •Geological Survey •National Park Service Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation •Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives •Drug Enforcement Administration Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration •Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs •Office of Foreign Labor Certification Department of the Treasury Federal Insurance Office •Financial Stability Oversight Council •Internal Revenue Service •Office of Financial Research Department of Veterans Affairs Board of Veterans' Appeals (VA) Independent agencies Administrative Conference of the United States •Agency for Global Media •Chemical Safety Board •Commodity Futures Trading Commission •Consumer Financial Protection Bureau •Consumer Product Safety Commission •Corporation for National Community Service •Corporation for Public Broadcasting •Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board •Equal Employment Opportunity Commission •Export-Import Bank of the United States •Farm Credit Administration •Federal Communications Commission •Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation •Federal Election Commission •Federal Energy Regulatory Commission •Federal Housing Finance Agency •Federal Labor Relations Authority •Federal Maritime Commission •Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission •Federal Reserve System •Federal Trade Commission •General Services Administration •Government Accountability Office •Interstate Commerce Commission •Merit Systems Protection Board •National Credit Union Administration •National Labor Relations Board •Office of Personnel Management •Securities and Exchange Commission •Securities Investor Protection Corporation •Social Security Administration •United States Postal Service Related legislative branch agencies Congressional Budget Office •Congressional Research Service •Government Publishing Office Dissolved agencies Civil Service Commission •National Recovery Administration •Steamboat Inspection Service Glossary Appointment confirmation process •United States Constitution •Electoral College •Impeachment of federal officials