Political Quotes

“One of the issues we must reform is the confirmation process in the Senate. I have heard from a number of Senators on both sides of the aisle who think we should address this. Clearly, all Presidents are entitled to choose well-qualified individuals to serve in their administration. In the vast majority of instances, the individuals nominated by the President are not controversial, but many have faced delays before assuming their positions. These delays mean critical decisionmakers are not in place. And, the delays make it harder to find qualified people--many great nominees simply cannot wait around for months as the stress and uncertainty affects their families and careers. We need to do better in the 112th Congress. According to the Congressional Research Service, the Senate has a constitutional duty to exercise ``advice and consent'' on more than 1,215 executive branch nominees. That is a large number. Is my friend from Kentucky aware of that the Senate confirms more than 1,215 executive branch nominees? Mr. McCONNELL. I am aware that the number of presidential appointees has grown substantially. According to the bipartisan Commission on Public Service report from 2003, President Kennedy took office in 1960 with only 286 positions to fill by Presidential appointment. Many of those required Senate confirmation. About 40 years later, President George W. Bush faced a total of 3,361 Presidential appointment slots to fill.…”