print-only banner
The White House Skip Main Navigation
  
In Focus
News
More News more news

News by Date

Appointments

Federal Facts

West Wing

 Home > News & Policies > February 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 7, 2008

Fact Sheet: Senate Must Act on Nominations to Federal Courts and Agencies
President Bush Calls On The Senate To Give A Prompt Vote To More Than 180 Highly-Qualified Nominees Now Awaiting Confirmation

     Fact sheet President Bush Discusses Pending Presidential Nominations, Urges Senate Confirmation

Today, President Bush called on the Senate to fulfill its Constitutional duty to give pending nominations a prompt vote and ensure Federal courts and agencies have the personnel they need to best serve the American people.  There are more than 180 highly-qualified nominees awaiting a fair vote in the Senate.  Of these nominees, 30 have been waiting more than a year for a Senate vote, about half have been waiting 100 days or longer, and nine nominees have been waiting more than two years.  The Senate's continued delay in confirming these nominees means good people are becoming increasingly discouraged from entering into public service.  

  • The Senate Judiciary Committee currently has 28 pending nominations for Federal judgeships before it.  On February 21, the Committee will hold its first hearing for a circuit court nominee since September of last year.  Four district court nominees are scheduled for a hearing on February 12.  No judicial nominees are pending before the full Senate. 

  • Approximately 160 non-judicial nominees continue to wait for the chance to serve our Nation.  The nominations before the Senate are for vital positions affecting issues from the economy, to public safety, to national security.  Some of these important agencies are unable to function until a nominee is confirmed.  Even after the tragedies at the Sago Mine in West Virginia and Crandall Canyon in Utah, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission cannot decide cases because it has more vacancies than members.

The Senate Must Act Now To Fill Critical Seats On Our Nation's Courts

The Senate continues to refuse taking simple up-or-down votes on President Bush's 28 nominees for Federal judgeships.  Many of America's courts are understaffed and overworked by too many vacancies while the Senate stands in the way of outstanding candidates who could relieve some of the burden.  Eleven of the President's judicial nominees stand ready to take posts that have been declared judicial emergencies, yet the Senate has refused to give them an up-or-down vote. 

  • The President has nominated 10 men and women to the U.S. Courts of Appeals to fill the vacancies in six circuits serving 19 States, two territories, and Washington, D.C., but all of these nominees are stalled in the Senate. 
    • Three circuit court nominees were first nominated in June 2006 and have been waiting for a fair up-or-down vote in the Senate ever since.
    • Six of the 10 circuit court nominees have been waiting more than six months for a vote by the full Senate.
    • The President has nominated three qualified individuals to serve in the 4th Circuit Court, where one-third of the judgeships are vacant. The Senate must move immediately to confirm judges to these unacceptable vacancies. 
  • The President has 18 nominees waiting for a Senate vote to serve U.S. district courts in 14 States. 
    • Two candidates were nominated over a year ago to vacancies declared judicial emergencies, but have yet to receive a hearing. 
    • Fifteen of the nominees for district judges have been pending before the Judiciary Committee for over 75 days. 

The Senate Also Must Confirm Nominees Who Will Help Protect America's National Security

The Senate has not voted on seven nominations for senior leadership positions at the Department of Justice (DOJ) that remain vacant.  DOJ helps protect the public from the threat of terrorism and ensures the fair and partial administration of justice for all Americans, and the Senate has a responsibility to confirm the leaders charged with these tasks. 

The Senate Must Act To Ensure Our Government Has The People It Needs To Address Economic Uncertainties

The President now lacks two of the three top economists that serve as members of his Council of Economic Advisers.  Senate leaders have pledged to do all that they can to ensure the Government takes action on the economy, yet they refuse to confirm the very people waiting to advise the President on the best ways to keep our economy growing.  After nearly six months of awaiting a confirmation hearing, Dennis Carlton withdrew his name from consideration in the Senate.  Donald Marron, who was nominated last summer, is still awaiting confirmation after more than seven months.

Three of the seven members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors have been awaiting Senate confirmation since May 2007.  The Federal Reserve Board was established by Congress to ensure our country has a safe and stable financial system, yet in this time of economic uncertainty the Senate is standing in the way of respected experts who could help guide the Federal Reserve's critical decisions.     

The Senate Must Act To Provide Our Government With The People It Needs To Ensure Public Safety And Health

Because of Senate delays, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has operated for more than three months without a confirmed director.  The President appreciates the Senate Commerce Committee scheduling a hearing for nominee Bobby Sturgell in February, but it remains important that he and other nominees receive a swift up-or-down vote, rather than waiting for months after their hearing.  Given the crucial role the FAA plays in ensuring the safety of the flying public, and at a time when air traffic congestion is a serious concern and Americans are experiencing record delays, it is irresponsible for the Senate to prevent a proven leader from taking on this public safety responsibility. 

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission cannot decide cases because it currently has more vacancies than members.  President Bush has nominated qualified people to fill all three vacant spots on the Commission, yet two of his nominees have been waiting more than a year for a Senate hearing. These nominees need to be confirmed to enable the Mine Safety Commission to decide cases and penalize mines that commit safety violations.

To ensure that the U.S. has the safest transportation system in the world, the Senate needs to take action to confirm leadership for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).  The NTSB is the lead investigator of any significant transportation accidents, such as the Minnesota bridge collapse.  The President nominated two candidates for this Board last October, but the Senate has yet to give them an up-or-down vote.

The Senate has failed to vote on nominations to the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, leaving this five-member board with only three people in place.  President Bush nominated two individuals to serve on this board more than six months ago.  This independent Federal agency is responsible for investigation of industrial chemical accidents, and continual vacancies on the Board will inhibit its ability to respond effectively to crises as they arise.

Six nominees – comprising a substantial portion of the agency's leadership – are now awaiting confirmation for positions at the Department of Health and Human Services.  These positions oversee important programs that provide health care and social services to our children and seniors and protect the Nation's public health.  Millions of Americans rely on these programs every day, and the Senate has a responsibility to take action and give them an up-or-down vote. 

 

 Nearly 200 Nominees Are Still Waiting For Senate Confirmation 


ADELSTEIN, Jonathan Steven               Member of the Federal Communications Commission
ALMOND, Lincoln D.                            United States District Judge for the District of Rhode Island
AMERI, Goli                                          Assistant Secretary of State
ANDERSON, A. Paul                           Federal Maritime Commissioner
ANDERSON, Stanley Thomas              United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee
ANWAR, Javaid                                   Member of the Board of Trustees of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
BAGLEY, Elizabeth F.                           Member of the US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
BARON, Jonathan                                 Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board of Education Sciences
BATTISTA, Robert J.                            Member of the National Labor Relations Board
BECK, Thomas M.                                Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority
BECKER, Grace C.                               Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
BELL, Warren                                       Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
BERNICAT, Marcia Stephens Bloom    Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal
BLAIR, Anita K.                                    Assistant Secretary of the Navy
BLAND, Julia W.                                   Member of the National Museum and Library Services Board
BLAYA, Joaquin F.                                Member of Broadcasting Board of Governors
BRADBURY, Steven G.                        Assistant Attorney General for Legal Counsel
BRENNAN, William J.                           Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
BRESLAND, John S.                             Chairperson and Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board 
CALLAHAN, Robert J.                          Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua
CARPER, Thomas C.                             Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak)
CELLUCCI, Jan                                     Member of the National Museum and Library Services Board
CHEALANDER, Steven                         Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
CHOKSY, Jamsheed K.                         Member of the National Council on the Humanities
CIANCHETTE, Peter E.                         Member of the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board
CLARKE, Victoria                                  Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
COHEN, Robert F., Jr.                           Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
COLDEBELLA, Gus P.                          General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security
CONRAD, Robert J., Jr.                         United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit
COOK, Clyde R. Jr.                                United States Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina
COOK, Elisebeth C.                                Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy
COPELAND, J. Gregory                         General Counsel of the Department of Energy
CRETZ, Gene Allan                                 Ambassador to Libya
DALTON, Carol A.                                 Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Colombia
DAVIS, Mark S.                                     United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia
DELBANCO, Dawn Ho                          Member of the National Council on the Humanities
DOUGLASS, Madonna Cynthia              Member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
DUDLEY, Susan E.                                 Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
DUFFY, Michael F.                                 Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
DUGAS, David R.                                   United States District Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana
DUKE, Elizabeth A.                                 Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
DUMMERMUTH, Matt Michael             United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
EPSTEIN, Anthony C.                             Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
FARR, Thomas Alvin                               US District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina
FILIP, Mark R.                                        Deputy Attorney General
FORD, Nelson M.                                   Under Secretary of the Army
FRYZEL, Michael                                    Member of the National Credit Union Administration Board
GARCIA, Joxel                                       Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
GARGANO, Charles A.                          Ambassador to the Republic of Austria
GHAFARI, Yousif Boutrous                    Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia
GILLILAND, Thomas C.                         Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
GLASSMAN, James K.                          Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy
GLENN, Gary D.                                    Member of the National Council on the Humanities
GRAVES, William H.                              Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
GRAY, C. Boyden                                  Representative of the U.S. to the European Union
GREGORY, Rebecca A.                        United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas
GRIECO, Jeffrey J.                                 Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
GROS, Simon Charles                            Assistant Secretary of Transportation
GUEVARA, Ana M.                              United States Alternate Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
HAGENAH, William J.                           Member of the National Museum and Library Service Board
HAGY, David W.                                   Director of the National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice
HALL, Floyd                                          Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak)
HALL, James Randal                              United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia
HANDY, Frank Philip                             Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
HARRIS, Ondray T.                                Director, Community Relations Services, Department of Justice
HAWE, William Joseph                           U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Washington
HAYNES, Catharina                               U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit
HERRING, Mark Y.                               Member of the National Museum and Library Services Board
HERTZ, David                                        Member of the National Council on the Humanities
HILL, David R.                                       Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
HILLMAN, Gracia M.                            Member of the Election Assistance Commission
HILLMAN, Reed Verne                         U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts
HINOJOSA, Ricardo H.                         Chair and Member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission   
HIRSCHBERG, D. Jeffrey                      Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
HODGES, Heather M.                            Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador
HOLEN, Arlene                                      Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
HOLSINGER, James W.                         Surgeon General of the Public Health Service
HONAKER, Richard H.                          United States District Judge for the District of Wyoming
HOROWITZ, Michael E.                         Member of the United States Sentencing Commission
HYBL, William J.                                     Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
JACZKO, Gregory B.                              Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
JOHNSON, Harvey E., Jr.                       Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency
JONES, Deborah K.                                Ambassador to the State of Kuwait
KASHIKARI, Neel T.                             Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
KATSAS, Gregory G.                             Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division
KAUFMAN, Edwards E.                         Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
KAYS, David Gregory                             U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri
KEISLER, Peter D.                                  U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit
KETHLEDGE, Raymond M.                    United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit
KIMMITT, Mark                                     Assistant Secretary of State
KLANE, Larry Allan                                Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
KRAMER, David J.                                 Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
KRESS, Carl B.                                       Federal Maritime Commissioner
KROL, George A.                                    Ambassador to Turkmenistan
KROSZNER, Randall S.                          Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
KUNDER, James R.                                Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development
LENHARD, Robert D.                             Member of the Federal Election Commission
LIMBAUGH, Stephen N., Jr.                   United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri
LLORENS, Hugo                                    Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras
LUKKEN, Walter                                   Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
MARRON, Donald B.                             Member of the Council of Economic Advisers
MARTINEZ, Ralph                                  Member, Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
MASON, David M.                                 Member of the Federal Election Commission
MATHES, Patricia                                   Member of the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board
MATTHEWS, Steve A.                           U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit
MCCUE, Susan M.                                  Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
MCGINN, Michael G.                              United States Marshal for the District of Minnesota
MCKINNON, Mark                                Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
MCSWAIN, Robert G.                            Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services
MENDEZ, John A.                                   United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California
MERON, Daniel                                       General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services
MILLER, Brian Stacy                               United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas
MORALES, Gerard                                  Member of the National Labor Relations Board
MORALES, Hector E.                             Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador
MORIARTY, James                                 Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh
MORRISON, Richard T.                         Judge of the United States Tax Court
MULHAUPT, Dennis M.                          Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
MURIN, Joseph J.                                   President, Government National Mortgage Association
MURPHY, Stephen Joseph, III                United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit
MYLES, Marianne                                   Ambassador to the Republic of Cape Verde
NAPLES, Nancy A.                                 Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak)
NOVAK, David J.                                    United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia
O'CONNOR, Kevin J.                             Associate Attorney General
O'GARA, James F.X.                               Deputy Director for Supply Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy
OKUN, Deanna Tanner                            Deputy United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador
OSBORN, John E.                                   Member of the United States Advisory Commission on the Public Diplomacy
PALMER, John L.                                    Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund
PASICHOW, Heidi M.                            Associated Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
PEPPLER, Susan                                     Assistant Secretary HUD, Community Planning and Development
POPE, Carol Waller                                 Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority
POWELL, William J.                               U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia
PRATTER, Gene E. K.                            United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit
PURYEAR IV, Gustavus Adolphus          U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee
RATH, Diane D.                                       Assistant Secretary for Family Support, Department of Heath and Human Services
RODRIGUEZ-VELEZ, Rosa Emilia         United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico
ROGAN, James Edward                          United States District Judge for the Central District of California
ROMANO, Neil                                       Assistant Secretary of Labor
ROOD, John C.                                       Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and Internal Security
ROSENKER, Mark V.                            Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board
ROSENSTEIN, Rod J.                            United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit
SALLING, Dorla M.                                Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission
SANCHEZ, Alejandro                              Member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
SAUERBREY, Ellen R.                            Assistant Secretary of State
SAUL, Andrew                                        Member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
SAVING, Thomas R.                               Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund
                                                                Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund
SCOBEY, Margaret                                 Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt
SCOTT, Marvin Bailey                            Member of the National Council on the Humanities
SHAYWITZ, Sally Epstein                       Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
SHEARER, Charles Russell Horner          Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
SHORT, Carolyn P.                                 United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
SHULMAN, Douglas H.                          Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service
SIMMONS, Steven J.                              Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
SMITH, William E.                                   United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit
SNOW, G. Murray                                  United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
STEER, John R.                                       Member of the United State s Sentencing Commission
STEIGER, William Raymond                    Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique
STEPHENS, D. Kathleen                        Ambassador to the Republic of Korea
STEPHENSON, Barbara J.                     Ambassador to the Republic of Panama
STICKLER, Richard                               Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health
STONE Shalom D.                                 United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit
STURGELL, Robert A                            Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
STUTLER, Denver Jr.                             Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak)
SUBOLESKI, Stanley C.                        Assistant Secretary of Energy
SUDDABY, Glenn T.                              United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York
SULLIVAN, John J.                                Deputy Secretary of Commerce
SULLIVAN, Michael J.                           Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
SVINICKI, Kristine L.                            Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
SWAIN, Carol M.                                  Member of the National Council on the Humanities
TANEBLATT, Eric J.                               Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
TATE, Deborah Taylor                             Member of the Federal Communications Commission
TAYLOR, Jeffrey A                                 United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
THOMAS-GREENFIELD, Linda             Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia
THORSON, Eric M.                                 Inspector General, Department of the Treasury   
TODD, William Edward                            Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam
VENABLES, George W.                          United States Marshall for the Southern District of California
VOLKER, Kurt Douglas                           United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
VON SPAKOVSKY, Hans                       Member of the Federal Election Commission
WALSH, Dennis P.                                    Member of the National Labor Relations Board
WALTHER, Larry Woodrow                     Director of the Trade and Development Agency
WALTHER, Steven T.                               Member of the Federal Election Commission
WEEMS, Kerry N.                                    Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
WEISS, Joanna                                          Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences 
WEST, Catherine G.                                  Member of the Internal Revenue Service Board Oversight
WESTINE, Lezlee J.                                  Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
WHITING, Gordon James                         Member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
WILLIAMS, Ellen C.                                 Governor of the United States Postal Service
WILLIAMS, Susan Richardson                  Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

 

# # #