Senate Is Tying Itself in Knots Over Presidential Nominees
Cloture votes to end holds have soared over the last decade, leaving federal agencies without direction.
Call a holding penalty.
Photographer: Scott J. Ferrell/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
Just when you thought DC gridlock couldn’t get worse: Senators are increasingly placing “holds” — in which a single member can effectively block the confirmation of a presidential nominee indefinitely, often anonymously — leaving critical leadership positions vacant and tying up the “world’s greatest deliberative body” with endless procedural votes. A new analysis by my organization found that the number of Senate cloture votes to end debate on blocked nominations — a time-consuming process that typically requires 50 senators — has skyrocketed in recent years.
Senators sometimes block nominations because they sincerely do not believe the person is qualified, or if they have legitimate disagreements on issues. But in our age of heightened partisanship, blockades are used as leverage to get an administration to provide information or to change policies — often unrelated to the person being vetted. During the past few decades, the number of positions requiring confirmation, and the average time used on each, have increased while the number of nominees actually confirmed has been declining. The result: a void in federal leadership as critical positions go unfilled and highly qualified people decide not to engage in the arduous process.