Senate Confirmation Scorecard for Trump's #SwampCabinet
3/23 Daniel Friedman (Israel ambassador) confirmed, 52-48 (Manchin and Menendez voted for).
3/23 Daniel Friedman (Israel ambassador) confirmed, 52-48 (Manchin and Menendez voted for).
Nominee |
Post |
Lowlights |
Status |
Feinstein |
Harris |
David Friedman |
Ambassador to Israel |
flamethrower, opposes two state solution |
AGAINST |
||
Seema Verma |
CMS Administrator (runs Medicare, Medicaid) |
wants to free insurance companies to cover less |
AGAINST |
||
Ben Carson |
Housing & Urban Development |
completely unqualified |
AGAINST |
||
Rick Perry |
Energy |
completely unqualified |
AGAINST |
||
Tom Price |
Health & Human Services |
wants to cut Medicare, insider trading |
confirmed 51-47 |
AGAINST |
|
Betsy DeVos |
Education |
opponent of public education |
confirmed 51-50 (no Dems) |
AGAINST |
|
Scott Pruitt |
EPA |
has filed numerous lawsuits against the EPA |
AGAINST |
||
Steve Mnuchin |
Treasury |
"foreclosure king" |
confirmed 53-47 (GOP + Manchin) |
AGAINST |
|
Jeff Sessions |
Attorney General |
horrible record on voting rights, civil rights |
confirmed 52-47 (no Dems) |
AGAINST |
|
Andrew Puzder |
Labor |
CEO of Carl's / Hardees, no champion of workers |
withdrawn! |
Value |
Value |
Ryan Zinke |
Interior |
confirmed 68-31 (16 Dems) |
AGAINST |
AGAINST |
|
Mick Mulvaney |
OMB |
wants to cut Social Security, Medicare |
confirmed 51-49 |
AGAINST |
|
Wilbur Ross |
Commerce |
FOR |
AGAINST |
||
Rex Tillerson |
State |
friend of Putin, CEO of Exxon |
AGAINST |
||
Mike Pompeo |
CIA Director |
torture, unconstitutional surveillance |
1/23 confirmed 66-32 |
FOR |
AGAINST |
How Confirmation Process Works
1. Relevant Senate committee(s) hold hearings, where the nominee can be questioned. The majority party sets the rules, can limit amount of time for questioning. Committees generally have 11 senators from the majority and 10 senators from the minority, meaning that the majority has control, but it only takes 1 majority senator to block approval in committee (assuming that the minority is unanimous in opposition).
2. Committee votes to approve or oppose nominee, sends to full Senate for vote. (Note: the Senate Majority Leader can force a vote even if the committee does not send it up.)
3. Full Senate can debate the nomination. A motion of "cloture" must be brought to end debate. This used to require 60 votes, but now for cabinet nominees, it only requires a simple majority of senators present. Once cloture is invoked, debate is limited to 30 more hours.
4. Full Senate votes. Only a simple majority is needed to confirm.
1. Relevant Senate committee(s) hold hearings, where the nominee can be questioned. The majority party sets the rules, can limit amount of time for questioning. Committees generally have 11 senators from the majority and 10 senators from the minority, meaning that the majority has control, but it only takes 1 majority senator to block approval in committee (assuming that the minority is unanimous in opposition).
2. Committee votes to approve or oppose nominee, sends to full Senate for vote. (Note: the Senate Majority Leader can force a vote even if the committee does not send it up.)
3. Full Senate can debate the nomination. A motion of "cloture" must be brought to end debate. This used to require 60 votes, but now for cabinet nominees, it only requires a simple majority of senators present. Once cloture is invoked, debate is limited to 30 more hours.
4. Full Senate votes. Only a simple majority is needed to confirm.
