Presidential Appointments to Full-time Positions in Executive Departments During the 108th Congress, 2003-2004

Publication Date: January 2007

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Abstract:

During the 108th Congress, the President submitted to the Senate 166 nominations to executive department full-time positions. Of these 166 nominations, 120 were confirmed; eight were withdrawn; one was returned to the President at the end of the first session; and 37 were returned to him at the end of the second session of the 108th Congress. For those nominations that were confirmed, an average of 98 days elapsed between the time of the nomination and the nomination's receipt and confirmation. The median number of days elapsed was 83. These statistics do not include the days during which the Senate was adjourned for its August recesses and between sessions of Congress.

President Bush made a total of 18 recess appointments to the departments during this time. Of those 18, three were made during the recess between the first and second sessions of the 108th Congress (intersession recess appointments). The remaining 15 were made during recesses within the first or second session of the 108th Congress (intrasession recess appointments).

Information for this report was compiled from data from the Senate nominations database of the Legislative Information System [http://www.congress.gov/nomis/], the Congressional Record (daily edition), the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, telephone discussions with agency officials, agency websites, the United States Code, and the "Plum Book" (United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions).

This report will be updated as necessary.