A joint event from the Administrative Conference of the United States and the National Academy of Public Administration
The federal government relies on political appointees and career civil servants to operate effectively. Although most positions can be filled through ordinary hiring processes or presidential or agency-head appointment, about 1,200 top leadership positions currently require presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. These positions are frequently vacant for reasons including delays in the nomination and confirmation process. As the Administrative Conference of the United States recently recognized, such vacancies can “lead to agency inaction, generate confusion among nonpolitical personnel, and lessen political accountability.”
Panel 1: Problems with the Current Senate-Confirmation Process
Delays in the process for confirming nominees to top agency leadership positions have been blamed for frequent vacancies across the executive branch. This panel will examine the cause of delays in the current process and the effects that vacancies have on the operation of federal agencies and administration of federal programs.
Moderated by Bertrall Ross, Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia.
Panel 2: Potential Reforms to the Senate Confirmation Process
Several reforms have been suggested to reduce delays in filling agency leadership positions, including streamlining Senate confirmation processes and revisiting which positions should require Senate confirmation. This panel will examine legal, policy, and practical considerations related to these and other proposals.
Panelists: