The Senate refers each presidential nomination to the committee with jurisdiction, which vets the nominee (background checks, financial disclosures), may hold a public hearing, and votes to report the nomination to the Senate’s Executive Calendar. The full Senate can confirm by unanimous consent/voice vote if unopposed; otherwise the majority leader can file cloture (requires a majority) to end debate after two session days, allow limited post‑cloture debate (usually up to two hours), and then hold a final confirmation vote (simple majority). Committees can also be discharged by the full Senate in rare cases; holds and other informal objections can delay floor consideration.
The Under Secretary of Energy oversees DOE’s mission offices that plan and deploy energy infrastructure and programs—stewarding investments in grid deployment, clean energy demonstrations, manufacturing and supply chains, national laboratories, emergency response, and related offices to renew infrastructure, support domestic manufacturing, create jobs, and advance energy security and competitiveness.
The Director of the National Park Service leads the NPS headquarters and national programs, sets policy and budget priorities, oversees seven regional directors and all units and staff, and is responsible for park management, resource protection, interpretation/visitor services, and national program implementation across the park system.
A U.S. Attorney is the chief federal prosecutor in the district: they prosecute federal crimes, represent the United States in civil litigation in the district, supervise assistant U.S. attorneys and staff, set enforcement priorities, and coordinate with local, state, and federal law‑enforcement partners.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent federal agency that protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from consumer products. A CPSC commissioner votes on agency rules, recalls, enforcement actions, safety standards and the agency’s budget and policy direction; commissioners serve fixed, staggered terms and shape regulatory priorities.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces federal campaign finance law, interprets regulations, issues advisory opinions, audits and investigates violations, and oversees reporting. Vacancies matter because the FEC requires a quorum (typically four of six commissioners) to take many enforcement and rulemaking actions; prolonged vacancies can stall investigations, enforcement, and guidance.
The U.S. Representative to U.N. organizations in Geneva (with ambassadorial rank) leads U.S. engagement at U.N. agencies and multilateral organizations in Geneva on human rights, health, trade, disarmament and related multilateral diplomacy; an Ambassador to Slovenia is the bilateral chief of mission in Ljubljana who manages the U.S.-Slovenia bilateral relationship, consular services, and embassy operations. In short: the Geneva post is multilateral, covering U.N. forums; the Slovenia post is bilateral, focused on one country.