The members of the Cabinet are often the President’s closest confidants.
All the members of the Cabinet take the title Secretary, excepting the head of the Justice Department, who is styled Attorney General
In the case of Cabinet secretaries and other appointees requiring Senate confirmation, the White House personnel office (or a president-elect’s transition team in the case of an incoming administration) preliminarily selects and vets a prospective appointee before sending a formal nomination to the Senate.
Before any nominations are made, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel vets a list of candidates, including suggestions provided by members of Congress and special interest groups. A chosen nominee then must pass through a series of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, the Office of Government Ethics and an ethics official from the agency to which the position is assigned. The nominee must also fill out the Public Financial Disclosure Report and questionnaires related to his or her background check.
The process begins when the president provides a written nomination to the Senate, where it is read on the floor and assigned a number. This starts the Senate's procedure of "Advice and Consent" laid out in Article II of the U.S. Constitution for the appointment of high ranking officials by the president.
Committee hearings
The nomination is passed to the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the appointed position. Some PAS positions require a joint hearing of two or more committees. Committee hearings allow a close examination of the nominee, looking for partisanship and views on public policy. They can also summon supporters and opponents to testify. Committees are permitted to conduct their own investigations into the nominees, as they are not always provided with the information gathered by the White House's investigation. Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably or without recommendation. They also have the option not to take action on the nominee. If action is taken, the committee notifies the executive clerk. The nomination is then given a number and added to the Executive Calendar of the Senate.
Senate hearings
The nomination must be on the Executive Calendar for more than one day before it can make it to the Senate floor for consideration. Unanimous consent of the time and date for debate must be agreed upon by all senators. If even one senator does not agree, a hold is placed on the nomination. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until two-thirds of the Senate vote to invoke cloture, closing debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject or take no action on the nomination. If a nomination is left pending at the end of a Congress, it must be sent back to the president who can then re-submit the nomination to the new Congress. The same procedure holds true with any nominee not considered before the Senate enters a recess of more than 30 days, unless there is unanimous consent to bypass the procedure.
Presidential notification
Finally, the Senate's action on the nomination is sent to the president. All results are recorded in the Congressional Record.
