# Trump's cabinet nominees- confirmation process? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 25, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580 "2016-12-25T01:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580/1 "2016-12-25T01:12:25Z")
Refresh my memory but does the President have the unilateral power to appoint his cabinet, or does Congress have to confirm them? (I seem to remember some brouhaha that led to the attempted impeachment of Andrew Johnson). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580/2 "2016-12-25T01:16:32Z")
Cabinet Secretaries, as well as many lower-level positions, are subject to confirmation by the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580/3 "2016-12-25T01:19:13Z")
[List of positions filled by presidential appointment with Senate approval.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_positions_filled_by_presidential_appointment_with_Senate_confirmation) It’s based on Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution. > [@](#): > > He (the President) shall have the Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. > > The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session." ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580/4 "2016-12-25T01:33:26Z")
So the obvious next question: how much trouble will Trump have getting his nominees confirmed? Yes the Republicans hold a majority but they won’t necessarily give Trump a blank check, particularly if the behind-the-scenes power brokers want to bring Trump to heel. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580/5 "2016-12-25T02:59:20Z")
If the Russia thing doesn’t get resolved, Tillerson might be the sacrificial lamb when he becomes a referendum on Trump’s coziness with Putin. I can’t see McCain voting for him. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-nominees-confirmation-process/775580/6 "2016-12-25T03:33:19Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > So the obvious next question: how much trouble will Trump have getting his nominees confirmed? Yes the Republicans hold a majority but they won’t necessarily give Trump a blank check, particularly if the behind-the-scenes power brokers want to bring Trump to heel. With a majority of only 52, it would take only 3 defections to deny confirmation. Trump may have enough Republican enemies for that to be a problem in some cases.