how many senate votes needed to confirm attorney general

by Cordia Kerluke II 8 min read

How many senators are needed to confirm a judicial nominee?

Mar 10, 2021 · Senators voted 70-30 on Garland's nomination to lead the Justice Department, easily topping the 50 votes needed.The vote comes just days before the five-year anniversary of when then-President ...

How many senators are needed to debate a nomination?

Feb 04, 2021 · The Senate confirmed him on March 10, 2021, by a vote of 70-30. The Biden Transition said in a press release, "A consensus-building voice, Judge Garland has worked under Democratic and Republican administrations.

Does the Senate have the power to confirm presidential nominations?

Sep 25, 2014 · He was approved by a 75-21 vote in the Senate, and his nomination and confirmation process lasted for about two months. One rumored replacement is Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, who was linked...

How does the Senate vote on a Supreme Court nomination?

Since 1930, the Senate has confirmed 59 and rejected four (one nominated by Herbert Hoover, two by Richard Nixon, and one by Ronald Reagan). Four nominees withdrew (out of …

How many Senators are required to confirm a presidential appointment?

[The president] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and 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 ...Sep 17, 2021

Does the Senate have to approve the attorney general?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. ... Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

How many votes do Cabinet members need to be confirmed?

The president may designate heads of other agencies and non-Senate-confirmed members of the Executive Office of the President as members of the Cabinet. The Cabinet does not have any collective executive powers or functions of its own, and no votes need to be taken.

How many votes does Merrick Garland need?

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15–7 to advance Garland's nomination to the Senate floor, and on March 10, the Senate confirmed Garland's nomination by a vote of 70–30.

Are Ambassadors confirmed by the Senate?

Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, their appointment must be confirmed by the United States Senate; while an ambassador may be appointed during a recess, they can serve only until the end of the next session of Congress, unless subsequently confirmed.

How many votes does a Supreme Court nominee need?

The Constitution does not set any qualifications for service as a Justice, thus the President may nominate any individual to serve on the Court. Senate cloture rules historically required a two-thirds affirmative vote to advance nominations to a vote; this was changed to a three-fifths supermajority in 1975.

Do all presidential appointments require Senate approval?

Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution and law of the United States, certain federal positions appointed by the president of the United States require confirmation (advice and consent) of the United States Senate.

Why must the Senate approve the president's Cabinet appointments?

Why must the Senate approve the president's cabinet appointments? So that the president alone does not have the power to choose leaders. Does a president today need 15 cabinet members?

What is the minimum number of Senators that must support a president's judicial nominee in order to ensure that he or she is confirmed?

Confirming a Nomination Traditionally, this required support from at least 60 of the 100 senators; in 2013, however, Democrats circumvented the rules with the nuclear option to require only a simple majority of those voting—51 in most cases.

Who appoints Garland?

On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died one month earlier.

Who is Merrick Garland's wife?

Lynn GarlandMerrick Garland / Wife (m. 1987)

Why did Harriet Miers withdraw her nomination?

Miers withdrew her nomination shortly after an awkward dispute she had in a private talk with Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, then the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. At issue was what she had said during their private talk about the right to privacy, a major underpinning of Roe v. Wade.

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. 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 o…
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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.
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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. Unanimous consent of the time and date for debate must be agreed upon by all senators. If even one senator does not agree, a holdis placed on the nomination. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until …
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Presidential Notification

  • Finally, the Senate's action on the nomination is sent to the president. All results are recorded in the Congressional Record.
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