how many votes does it take to confirm the attorney general?

by Maryse Russel Sr. 6 min read

Does the Senate have the power to confirm presidential nominations?

Feb 04, 2021 · Garland was confirmed on March 10, 2021, by a vote of 70-30. Summary of Senate vote on Merrick Garland's nomination for attorney general (March 10, 2021) Party. Votes for.

How many senators does it take to confirm a Supreme Court justice?

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...

What is the confirmation process for Supreme Court nominees?

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 …

What happens if one senator does not agree on a nomination?

Feb 14, 2019 · The Senate on Thursday confirmed William P. Barr as attorney general by a vote of 54-45. Virtually every Republican, along with three …

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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

How many votes are needed to confirm Cabinet members?

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.

Is the attorney general confirmed by the Senate?

The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. 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 senators must approve Cabinet members?

[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 ...

What positions do not need Senate confirmation?

PA positions (approximately 400 positions): Presidential appointments that do not require Senate confirmation. These are senior-level positions, including jobs within the Executive Office of the President such as senior White House aides and advisors.

How long does the confirmation process usually take?

According to the Congressional Research Service, the average number of days from nomination to final Senate vote since 1975 is 67 days (2.2 months), while the median is 71 days (or 2.3 months).

How old is Joe Biden?

79 years (November 20, 1942)Joe Biden / Age

How old is Merrick Garland?

69 years (November 13, 1952)Merrick Garland / Age

How long does the US attorney general serve?

four-yearUnder the state Constitution, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in the same statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner.

Who was the last Attorney General?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows

Who was the last US attorney general?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentMichael B. Mukasey2007-2009Alberto R. Gonzales2005-2007John David Ashcroft2001-200582 more rows

What is a confirmation vote?

Confirmation by the Senate allows the President to formally appoint the candidate to 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.

What is the process by which a presidential appointment is approved by the Senate?

Confirmation. Under Senate procedures, a nominee requires a simple majority support of senators present and voting to proceed to the nomination. After the Senate has voted, the clerk of the Senate notifies the White House to prepare your presidential commission.

What are Senate confirmations?

Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination. 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.

Is the deputy attorney general confirmed by the Senate?

The deputy attorney general is a political appointee of the President of the United States and takes office after confirmation by the United States Senate. The position was created in 1950.

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

How many votes are needed to confirm Cabinet members?

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 Senate votes are needed to ratify a treaty?

The Constitution gives to the Senate the sole power to approve, by a two-thirds vote, treaties negotiated by the executive branch.

Do presidential appointments need to be approved?

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.

What positions do not need Senate confirmation?

PA positions (approximately 400 positions): Presidential appointments that do not require Senate confirmation. These are senior-level positions, including jobs within the Executive Office of the President such as senior White House aides and advisors.

How many positions are confirmed in the Senate?

1,200 positionsPresidential Appointment with Senate Confirmation (PAS) About 1,200 positions across the federal government. In the first 100 days in office, the Senate confirmed 67 of President Obama's appointees. approximately 320 for Trump and 460 for Obama.

What if the approval group is not in session?

If the Senate isn't officially in session, the President does have the power to appoint officers directly using his recess appointments powers, but modern parliamentary techniques used in the Senate rarely allow an opportunity for such appointments.Feb 2, 2017

Who can overturn an executive order?

Congress also has the power to overturn an Executive Order by passing legislation that invalidates it. (The President, of course, may veto such legislation, in which case Congress may override the veto by a two-thirds majority).Nov 28, 2021

Who is the highest ranking attorney?

The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters.

Who is second in command at DOJ?

Lisa O. MonacoLisa O. Monaco is the 39th Deputy Attorney General of the United States. As the Deputy Attorney General, she is the Department's second-ranking official and is responsible for the overall supervision of the Department.Oct 28, 2021

What is plural of attorney general?

“General” here, though, is an adjective, not a noun; you can think of them as “general attorneys.” So the plural goes on the noun, and the proper form is “attorneys general.” ... Then you can call them “attorney-generals,” but don't forget the hyphen.Mar 21, 2016

What is Article 2 Section 2?

Article II, Section 2 empowers the president to nominate and—“by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate”—to appoint principal officers such as department heads as well as subordinate ones such as deputies. The process of the president’s nomination of Cabinet secretaries, and the Senate’s confirmation of them, ...

How many cabinet nominations did the Senate reject?

At this writing, the Senate has rejected only nine of a president’s Cabinet nominations. Four were made by embattled Whig-turned-Independent John Tyler in 1843 and 1844, including choices for secretary of war and treasury secretary.

Who was the Supreme Court nominee in 2016?

Since 1845, the Senate has taken no action on only five Supreme Court nominees, the latest being Merrick Garland in 2016. Obama, a liberal Democrat, selected Garland to fill a vacancy created by the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative. Republican leadership decided to adhere to a Senate tradition ...

Can the President fill executive branch positions temporarily?

In some circumstances not normally associated with a new president’s initial Cabinet appointments, the president may fill vacancies in executive branch positions temporarily. One way is through a recess appointment.

What is the purpose of the Congressional Research Service?

The Congressional Research Service, which studies and analyzes legislative matters for members of the Senate and House, breaks it down this way: First, the White House selects a prospective appointee and sends a formal nomination to the Senate. Second, the Senate determines whether to confirm the nomination.

Who can recommend candidates for executive branch positions?

Members of Congress and other interested parties may recommend candidates for executive branch positions. However, a president or president-elect isn’t bound by such recommendations, according to the Congressional Research Service, whose recent reports on the confirmation process provide the basis for this article.

What is the Office of Government Ethics?

The Office of Government Ethics is available to guide a candidate through the paperwork. The FBI typically does a background check and submits a report. The Office of Government Ethics, along with an ethics official from the relevant agency, reviews the financial disclosures.

Majority rule

The 54 senators voting “yes”, thereby confirming Barr as attorney general, represent 48 percent of voting age Americans, or 107 million people.

Key votes

Democrats Joe Manchin, Doug Jones and Kyrsten Sinema voted to confirm Barr and one Republican, Rand Paul, voted against Barr.

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