Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
A Tale of Two Cabinets – Obama 2009 vs Trump 2017
The Democrats all out attempts to derail and obstruct the cabinet picks of President Trump are, to my knowledge, unsurpassed in history. I know I shouldn’t be surprised by this; but, I am. Egged on by their far left base and the fact that the party as evidenced by their elected representatives has moved from the center-left to the left leaves them no option but to fight a series of losing battles in these confirmation battles.
I thought I’d compare the Trump cabinet picks and Senate confirmation process with the Obama cabinet and confirmation process for his first term in order to document how the process has changed in the last eight years. First up, Obama 2008-09.
Obama Cabinet 2008-2009
Dept – – – – – Nominee – Announce – Confirm Vote
State – – – – -Clinton – – 12/1/08 – – 1/21/09 94-2
Defense – – -Gates – – – -12/1/08
Justice – – – Holder – – – 12/1/08 – -1/28/09 75-21
Treasury – -Geithner – – 11/30/08 -1/26/09 60-34
Interior – – -Salazar – – – 12/19/08 -1/20/09 Voice Vote
Agriculture Vilsack – – – -12/17/08 -1/20/09 Unanimous Consent
Commerce – Locke* – – – -2/23/09 -3/24/09 Unanimous Consent
Labor – – – – -Solis – – – – – 12/19/08 -2/24/09 80-17
HHS – – – – -Sebelius** – – 3/2/09 – -4/28/09 65-31
Education – Duncan – – – – 12/16/08 -1/20/09 Voice Vote
HUD – – – – -Donovan – – – -12/13/08 -1/27/09 Unanimous Consent
Transportation LaHood – – 12/19/08 -1/23/09 Voice Vote
Energy – – – – Chu – – – – – – 12/17/08 – -1/20/09 Unanimous Consent
VA – – – – – – – Shinseki – – – -12/7/08 – -1/20/09 Voice Vote
Home Sec – -Napolitano – – 12/1/08 – -1/21/09 Voice Vote
EPA – – – – – Jackson – – – – -12/15/08 -1/22/09 Voice Vote
OMB – – – – -Orszag – – – – – -11/25/08 – 1/20/09 Voice Vote
UN Amb – – Rice – – – – – – – 12/1/08 – -1/22/09 Voice Vote
USTR – – – – Kirk – – – – – – – 12/19/08 – -3/18/09 92-5
- Locke was Obama’s third pick for Commerce Secretary. His first pick New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withdrew on January 4, 2009 due to federal investigations into his political donors. Obama’s second pick, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) withdrew citing ideological differences with the new administration.
- Sebelius was Obama’s second choice for HHS. His first choice former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle withdrew on Febuary 3, 2009 due conflict of interest concerns regarding his receipt of over $16 million dollars from healthcare lobbying organizations.
- Nominees Geithner, Solis and Kirk had tax issues which slowed their confirmations.
The Democrats had control of the Senate during this period. After the 2008 election, the senate composition was 57 Dem, 41 Rep & 2 Ind with the Independents (Lieberman of Conn & Sanders of Vermont) caucusing with the Dems. However, because of the need to replace Obama & Biden and a contested election in Minnesota, the Democrats had only 55 senators by January 20 and did not reach the 57 total until April 26, 2009.
For both Obama and Trump, I tabulated the following three time spans – 1) the length of time between the announcement and the inauguration for each nominee (the earliest date any nominee can be confirmed), 2) the length of time between the announcement and the confirmation for each nominee, and 3) the length of time between inauguration day and confirmation for each nominee. For Obama, the times for these eighteen cabinet posts (I ignored Gates) the averages were 26.5 days for Item 1 (i.e. – Obama named his eventual cabinet secretary at these 18 posts on average 26.5 days prior to January 20, 2009), 48.8 days for Item 2 and 15.7 days for Item 3. I’ll provide the totals for the Trump nominees after the Trump Cabinet Nomination table.
Trump 2016-2017
Dept – – – – Nominee —Announc –Confirm Vote
State – – – – Tillerson – -12/13/16 -2/1/17 56-43
Defense – – Mattis – – – 12/01/16 -1/20/17 98-1
Justice – – -Sessions – -11/18/16 – 2/8/17 52-47
Treasury – -Mnunchin -11/30/16
Interior – – -Zinke – – – 12/15/16
Agriculture -Perdue – -1/18/17
Commerce – -Ross – – -11/30/16
Labor – – – – Pudzer – -12/8/16
HHS – – – – -Price – – – 11/29/16
Education – DeVos – – 11/23/16 – – 2/7/17 51-50
HUD – – – – Carson – -12/5/16
Transportation Chao -11/29/16 – -1/31/17 93-6
Energy – – – Perry – – -12/14/16
VA – – – – – -Shulkin – -1/1/17
Home Sec – Kelly – – 12/7/16 – – – -1/20/17 88-11
EPA – – – – -Pruitt – – 12/7/16
OMB – – – -Mulvaney 12/16/16
UN Amb – -Haley – – -11/23/16 – – -1/24/17 96-4
USTR – – – Lighthizer 1/3/17
So far, only seven of the nineteen cabinet nominees have been confirmed. At the same point (February 9) in the Obama Administration fourteen of the eighteen Obama nominees had been confirmed. Only those posts with nominee issues (Commerce, Labor, HHS and US Trade Rep) remained. In addition, the total number of nay votes for all eighteen of the Obama nominees totaled 110. The number of nay votes for the first seven Trump nominees already totals 162. This nominating cycle has witnessed several firsts – the first time the Vice President has had to cast the tie-breaking vote in a cabinet nomination – the first time a nominee who is a current senator has had a fellow senator testify against his nomination.
For the Trump nominees, the Republicans are in control of the Senate at 52-46-2 (again both independents – King of Maine & Sanders of Vermont caucus with the Dems).
Trump nominated his cabinet secretaries significantly earlier than Obama – an average of 42.6 days prior to inauguration day as compared to Obama’s 26.5 days. The seven confirmed nominees have averaged 61.9 days between announcement and confirmation versus 48.8 days for all eighteen of Obama’s secretaries). The time frame for the Trump nominees will only continue to rise. So far, the time between inauguration day and confirmation for the Trump nominees is 9.6 days compared to 15.7 days for the entire Obama cabinet. Again, the time for the Trump nominees will only grow and will end up being at least twice that for Obama.
I don’t think this is bias on my part; but, the Trump nominees have none of the scandal problems that plagued the Obama nominees. None have had cause to withdraw (and it appears that none will have cause to withdraw), while Obama had three nominees that were compelled to withdraw due to scandal. Three Obama nominees had actual tax problems which required remediation of one sort or another prior to confirmation, while none have that sort of problem among the Trump nominees (although the Democrats are attempting to call into question some of HHS nominee Price’s investments and reporting thereof). Of course this ignores that according to the Democrats, Jeff Sessions is an unrepentant racist and Betsy DeVos wants to destroy public education.
What bothers me most about this, is that I tend to believe every president should get the nominees he wants for his cabinet in the absence of significant disqualifying factors that an average disinterested citizen would recognize. The battle should be on ideas and policy. The Democrats are in the process of setting a new standard – essentially every nominee of the opposition party is to be opposed. Like the filibuster issue, this will come back to bite the Democrats in the future. As for the Obama 2008-2009 nominees, I would have voted for all except for one – Attorney General nominee Eric Holder who had disqualified himself due to his involvement in the Marc Rich pardon and the pardons of several terrorists at the end of the Clinton Administration.
The confirmation process for the Trump cabinet is not yet over. When it’s complete, I plan to update the tables and make a final comparison between the Obama and Trump cabinet confirmation process.
Published in General
Thanks for pulling this together. While knowing the situation in general, it is still surprising to see cold statistics such as Trump’s team having been nominated more than twice as long as Obama’s.
As you said, the disheartening part is that the battle of ideas has morphed into bottling up the other team in the locker room while the game clock is running. Nice precedent, Dems.
With all due respect, if you think this, you haven’t been paying attention.
also, Trump’s process of selecting nominees was … atypical. My understanding is that they get vetted first, they fill out ethics paperwork, and after that, they’re announced. Trump did it the other way around, and there have been all kinds of problems associated with it.
The Democrats play hard ball. The Republicans don’t. I don’t like the way Democrats play but we can learn something from them. I’m just not sure what.
What a beautiful exercise … Compare and Contrast … these two Administrations. Broadly. The entire body of work, not just “scandal”. Freedom. Constitution. America. Individualism. Capitalism (versus Socialism). Less Government. Religious Freedom.
Both Admins had the best Sec of Defenses we’ve seen since the Civil War.
This is true. Trump nominees are not the typical mix of career politicians gorging at the government trough for decades and decades. Thus nobody knows who pockets they are in so how can they be allowed to rule if people do not know who owns them or have blackmail info on them?
As opposed to selfless career politicians who are beholden to no special interest group, members of the private sector must be scrutinized, lest their grubby little commerce seeking fingers pollute the Federal government.
Remember how Michelle Obama lectured us on how pure Barrack was (and is) because he didn’t go and get a private sector job — no, selflessness is his watchword. We should all take this to heart.
Eric Holder is a disgrace to humanity.
Great post! I agree. I think Trump has picked better cabinet appointees than any of the other Republicans in the primaries would have picked if they had been elected. It’s quite clear the Dems are scared to death of these people, hence the slowness in confirmation.
One thing came to mind during this entire process. There were originally what . . . four cabinet positions when the Constitution was written? I guess court rulings have been made that apply the Constitutional provision of Senate “Advice and Consent” to subsequently instituted cabinet positions. However, if we follow my senior Senator “Flimsy Lindsey” Graham, “a President is entitled to his picks.” I can agree with that when it comes to cabinet positions, but not when it comes to judges.
Cabinet appointees are going to carry out the directives of the President, no matter whom he appoints. I dare say a President denied his pick for a particular cabinet could listen to that failed nominee’s advice, then issue executive orders to micromanage that particular cabinet as if the person was appointed. Let the cabinet nominees be put into office unless they turn out to be axe murderers. However, judges are much more important in the long run, the “long run” being defined as lifetime appointments that could last for 10, 20, or even 30 years.
Still, I think McConnell should do away with the modern filibuster once and for all. The Senate was designed for prolonged deliberation before a vote, not stroke-of-the-pen veto by one individual (who typically thinks he should be President). This past election makes me think that Senators outside the northeast will be more prone to listen to their constituents if they want to keep their seats.
We want change. This last election demonstrated that. Any elected official who stands in the way runs the risk of being voted out of office, especially if he’s in a red or purple district or state.
I’m excited about the future . . .
Thanks Stad.
Oh, I agree with you about judges vs cabinet picks. Presidents should be allowed their choice of personnel re the filling of the executive branch during their term in office. Judges, however, in large part because of how the Judicial Branch has turned itself into a super-legislature, don’t deserve that same deference.
As to the Advise & Consent requirement, it was the early Congresses and the Executive that decided to establish the first four Departments (State, War, Treasury and Attorney General) and then decided which of these public ministers fell under this provision of the constitution.
We are not done yet. All Trump’s nominees have to be run through the Ninth Circuit for approval.
Geitner, Treasury Secretary for Obama was approved in 30 days approx from announcement…a proven tax cheat for Sec of Treasury, a tax cheat. Just had to repeat it.
Did President Trump nominate a bunch of tax cheats while I wasn’t watching?
I am genuinely interested in the scandal-prone nature of Trump nominees. So please, enlighten me.
Yes please Mr. Cole. enlighten us.
Add me to the list.