About Rod D. Martin
Praise for Rod D. Martin
Book Rod to Speak
Politics & Economics
Technology & Markets
Faith & CultureSenate Republican Policy Committee
Senator John Barrasso, Chairman
July 25, 2017
- President Obama had 206 of his nominees confirmed in the first six months of his administration, while President Trump has had only 55 nominees confirmed.
- Ten nominees have been confirmed with 80 or more votes – earning the support of most Democrats – yet still required cloture to be filed.
- Key positions remain open, despite favorable committee action, including four deputy secretaries, eight federal judges, and eight members of independent boards or commissions.
In the first six months of President Trump’s administration, he made 257 nominations to important judicial and administration positions, yet the Senate confirmed only 55 of these nominees. These confirmation delays result mostly from Democrats putting up roadblocks on even the most non-controversial nominees and insisting that Republicans file cloture on the majority of nominations.
First Six Months: Nominees Confirmed
CONFIRMATIONS ON INAUGURATION DAY
In the past, even senators not in the president’s party recognized the importance of allowing the new commander in chief to get his team in place quickly. Recent presidents have had many cabinet secretaries confirmed on Inauguration Day – and the vast majority of secretaries were in the job before the end of January.
Cabinet Secretaries Confirmed Early in an Administration
Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton had nearly their whole cabinets in place in their first two weeks in office. President Obama had 10 cabinet secretaries confirmed by the end of his first January in office; President George W. Bush had 13; and President Clinton had 13. It took 39 days for President Trump to have 10 cabinet secretaries in place.
SLOW PACE AFTER FIRST SIX MONTHS
The slow pace of confirmations has continued through the first six months of the Trump administration. In prior administrations, the sheer volume of nominees requiring Senate confirmation – currently 1,242 civilian positions – resulted in the Senate using expedited procedures for most nominees after they had been vetted by the committee of jurisdiction. Only rarely had confirming a nominee required debate to be cut off using cloture.
Confirming almost any nominee during the current administration, however, has required cloture to be filed – even for nominees with overwhelming bipartisan support. Just five of President Trump’s nominees have been confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote, and 50 required roll call votes.
Trump Vs. Obama: Times Cloture Filed on Nominees in First Six Months
Number of Votes for Trump Nominees after Cloture Was Filed
Key Administration Posts Await Senate Action
The delays have left the executive branch critically understaffed. Currently 58 senior administration positions are vacant despite having been reported favorably by the committee. All that remains for these nominations is confirmation by the full Senate. Until these vacancies are filled, agencies will be unable to perform many of their statutory duties. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been without a quorum since February 3 and is unable to approve new energy infrastructure projects.
· Mark Green, administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
ADDITIONAL VACANCIES AWAITING SENATE ACTION
Highlighting how much work remains, nominees are facing a long road to confirmation due to the ongoing blockade. For example, the president has nominated 24 people to key positions in the Department of Defense, 15 of which were sent to the full Senate, but only seven have been confirmed. The Justice Department has had 29 nominees so far, and just three have been confirmed. The Department of Health and Human Services has had just three of 13 nominations confirmed.
Nominees Confirmed vs. Awaiting Action
JUDICIAL VACANCIES
In addition to filling administration jobs, the Senate must also confirm nominees to the judiciary. There are 135 vacant judicial branch positions, of which 52 are considered “emergencies.” The Senate has only confirmed four judicial nominations this year.
Circuit Courts of Appeals Vacancies
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
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