At August recess, Trump remains behind on confirmations

As the Senate leaves town for August recess, President Trump remains behind on filling the government with political appointees to oversee core government functions and to implement his policy agenda.

The Washington Post and Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, are tracking the president’s progress on putting forward nominees who require Senate consent before assuming a role.

The White House has often blamed Democrats for the slow pace of confirmations. While Senate delays have played a role, the White House has also been slow to put forward nominees for consideration.

Trump has fewer nominees confirmed than is typical at this point

As of Aug. 3, Trump had half as many confirmed appointees in place as his three immediate predecessors. (These counts exclude judicial and non-civilian positions.)

Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton each saw multiple waves of nominees approved just before the Senate left for the August recess.

[Trump’s priorities in funding and cutting are keenly felt by federal workforce]

Shortfalls are the result of delays from the White House — and recently, the Senate

The Senate cannot confirm picks until Trump formally nominates them, which he was slow to do in the opening months of his presidency.

But as the nominations have come more quickly, the confirmations have not kept pace. In previous administrations, an uptick in nominations by the president was soon followed by an uptick in confirmations.

Whether because of a 2013 change in Senate rules to prevent unlimited debate, or because of Democrats’ strong opposition to Trump, more of his picks are facing procedural delays.

[Trump’s wait for his major Cabinet picks was nearly the longest in 30 years]

Major Cabinet agencies have few Trump-appointed leaders

Among key positions being tracked by The Post and Partnership for Public Service — a subset of all Senate-confirmable appointees — several leadership positions remain unnamed. Each of the primary 15 Cabinet departments has a secretary except for Homeland Security, which Gen. John F. Kelly vacated to serve as Trump’s chief of staff. But seven departments still do not have a deputy secretary confirmed.

At Health and Human Services and Justice, many top appointees have been formally nominated, while other departments, such as State and Education, have seen few formal nominations. Another factor contributing to the slog: failed nominees. Many of Trump’s picks need to untangle complex financial backgrounds, a lengthy process that has sometimes led to their withdrawal.

When a nominee is withdrawn, the administration must begin the process of nominating someone over again.