Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions on Regulatory and Other Collegial Boards and Commissions, 112th Congress
Released: 2015-02-03T00:00:00

Introduction

The President is responsible for appointing individuals to positions throughout the federal government. In some instances, the President makes these appointments using authorities granted to the President alone. Other appointments, generally referred to with the abbreviation PAS, are made by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate via the nomination and confirmation process. This report identifies, for the 112 th Congress, all nominations submitted to the Senate for full-time positions on 34 regulatory and other collegial boards and commissions.

This report includes a profile on the leadership structure of each of these 34 boards and commissions as well as a pair of tables presenting information on each body's membership and appointment activity as of the end of the 112 th Congress. The profiles discuss the statutory requirements for the appointed positions, including the number of members on each board or commission, their terms of office, whether they may continue in their positions after their terms expire, whether political balance is required, and the method for selecting the chair. The first table in each pair provides information on full-time positions requiring Senate confirmation as of the end of the 112 th Congress and the pay levels of those positions. The second table for each board or commission tracks appointment activity within the 112 th Congress by the Senate (confirmations, rejections, returns to the President, and elapsed time between nomination and confirmation) as well as further related presidential activity (including withdrawals and recess appointments). In some instances, no appointment action occurred within a board or commission during the 112 th Congress.

Information for this report was compiled using the Senate nominations database of the Legislative Information System (LIS) at http://www.lis.gov/nomis/ , the Congressional Record (daily edition), the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents , telephone discussions with agency officials, agency websites, the United States Code , and the 2012 Plum Book ( United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions ).

Related Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports regarding the presidential appointments process, nomination activity for other executive branch positions, recess appointments, and other appointments-related matters may be found at http://www.crs.gov .

Positions on Regulatory and Other Collegial Bodies

Federal executive branch boards and commissions discussed in this report share, among other characteristics, the following: (1) they are independent executive branch bodies located, with four exceptions, outside executive departments; (2) several board or commission members head each entity, and at least one of these members serves full time; (3) the members are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate; and (4) the members serve fixed terms of office and, except in a few bodies, the President's power to remove them is restricted.

For most of the boards and commissions included in this report, the fixed terms of office for member positions have set beginning and end dates, irrespective of whether the posts are filled or when appointments are made. In contrast, for a few agencies, such as the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the full term begins when an appointee takes office and expires after the incumbent has held the post for the requisite period of time. The end dates of the fixed terms of a board's members are staggered so that the terms do not expire all at once. The use of terms with fixed beginning and end dates is intended to minimize the occurrence of simultaneous board member departures and thereby increase leadership continuity.

Under such an arrangement, an individual is nominated to a particular position and a particular term of office. An individual may be nominated and confirmed for a position for the remainder of an unexpired term to replace an appointee who has resigned (or died). Alternatively, an individual might be nominated for an upcoming term with the expectation that the new term will be under way by the time of confirmation. Occasionally, when the unexpired term has been for a relatively short period, the President has submitted two nominations of the same person simultaneously—the first to complete the unexpired term and the second to complete the entire succeeding term of office.

On some commissions, the chair is subject to Senate confirmation and must be appointed from among the incumbent commissioners. If the President wishes to appoint, as chair, someone who is not on the commission, the President simultaneously submits two nominations for the nominee—one for member and the other for chair.

As independent entities with staggered membership, executive branch boards and commissions have more political independence from the President than do executive departments. Nonetheless, the President can sometimes exercise significant influence over the composition of a board or commission's membership when he designates the chair or has the opportunity to fill a number of vacancies at once. For example, President George W. Bush had the chance to shape the Securities and Exchange Commission during the first two years of his presidency because of existing vacancies, resignations, and the death of a member. Likewise, during the same time period, President Bush was able to submit nominations for all of the positions on the National Labor Relations Board because of existing vacancies, expiring recess appointments, and resignations. Simultaneous turnover of board or commission membership may result from coincidence, but it also may be the result of a buildup of vacancies after extended periods of time in which the President fails to nominate, or the Senate fails to confirm, members.

Two other notable characteristics apply to appointments to some of the boards and commissions. First, for 26 of the bodies in this report, the law limits the number of appointed members who may belong to the same political party, usually to no more than a simple majority of the appointed members (e.g., two of three or three of five). Second, advice and consent requirements also apply to inspector general appointments in four of these organizations and general counsel appointments in three.

Appointments During the 112th Congress

During the 112 th Congress, President Barack H. Obama submitted nominations to the Senate for 63 of the 149 full-time positions on 34 regulatory and other boards and commissions (most of the remaining positions were not vacant during that time). He submitted a total of 76 nominations for these positions, of which 45 were confirmed, 8 were withdrawn, and 23 were returned to the President. The number of nominations exceeded the number of positions because the President submitted multiple nominations for some positions. In some cases, for example, the President submitted one nomination for the end of a term in progress and a second nomination of the same person to the same position for the succeeding term. In other cases, the President submitted a second nomination after his first choice failed to be confirmed. The President also submitted "extra" nominations for the three individuals to whom he had given recess appointments to comply with a law affecting the payment of those appointees. Table 1 summarizes the appointment activity for the 112 th Congress. At the end of the Congress, 26 incumbents were serving past the expiration of their terms. In addition, there were 20 vacancies among the 149 positions.

Length of Time to Confirm a Nomination

The length of time a given nomination may be pending in the Senate has varied widely. Some nominations have been confirmed within a few days, others have been confirmed within several months, and some have never been confirmed. In the board and commission profiles, this report provides, for each board or commission nomination that was confirmed in the 112 th Congress, the number of days between nomination and confirmation ( days to confirm ). For those nominations that were confirmed, a mean (average) of 156.0 days elapsed between nomination and confirmation. The median number of days elapsed was 130.0. The difference between these two numbers suggests the mean was pulled upward by a small number of unusually high numbers.

Organization of the Report

Board and Commission Profiles

Each of the 34 board or commission profiles in this report is organized into three parts: a paragraph discussing the body's leadership structure, a table identifying its membership as of the end of the 112 th Congress, and a table listing nominations and appointments to its vacant positions during the 112 th Congress. The leadership structure sections discuss the statutory requirements for the appointed positions, including the number of members on each board or commission, their terms of office, whether these members may continue in their positions after their terms expire, whether political balance is required, and the method for selecting the chair.

Data on appointment actions during the 112 th Congress appear under both the "Membership as of the End of the 112 th Congress" and the "Appointment Action in the 112 th Congress" sections. The former identify the agencies' positions requiring Senate confirmation and the incumbents in those positions as of the end of the 112 th Congress. Incumbents whose terms have expired are italicized. Most incumbents serve fixed terms of office and are removable only for specified causes. They generally remain in office when a new administration assumes office following a presidential election. For those agencies requiring political balance among their members, the party affiliation of an incumbent is listed as Democrat (D), Republican (R), or Independent (I). These sections also include the pay levels of each position. For presidentially appointed positions requiring Senate confirmation, the pay levels fall under the Executive Schedule, which ranges from level I, for Cabinet-level offices, to level V, for the lowest-ranked positions. Most of the chair positions are at level III, and most of the other positions are at level IV.

For each board or commission, the "Appointment Action" section provides information about each nomination, in chronological order, including the name of the nominee, the position to which he or she was nominated, the date of submission, the date of confirmation (if any), and the number of days that elapsed between submission and confirmation. It also notes actions other than confirmation (i.e., nominations rejected by the Senate, nominations returned to or withdrawn by the President, and recess appointments). Occasionally, where a position was vacant and the unexpired term of office was to end within a number of weeks or months, the President submitted two nominations for the same nominee: the first to complete the unexpired term, and the second for a full term following completion of the expired term. In addition, in the three instances during the 112 th Congress in which the President recess appointed a nominee for a position covered by this report while the nomination was awaiting Senate action, he submitted a second, follow-up nomination to comply with the requirements of 5 U.S.C. §5503(b).

Tables that show more than one confirmed nomination provide the mean number of days to confirm a nomination. This figure was determined by calculating the number of days between the nomination and confirmation dates, adding these numbers for all confirmed nominations, and dividing the result by the number of nominations confirmed. For tables with instances of one individual being confirmed more than once (to be a chair and a member, for example), the mean was calculated by averaging all values in the "Days to Confirm" column, including the values for both confirmations.

Additional Appointment Information

Appendix A provides two tables. Table A-1 includes information on each of the nominations and appointments to regulatory and other collegial boards and commissions during the 112 th Congress, alphabetically organized and following a similar format to that of the "Appointment Action" sections discussed above. It identifies the board or commission involved and the dates of nomination and confirmation. The appendix also indicates if a nomination was withdrawn, returned, or rejected or if a recess appointment was made. In addition, it provides the mean and median number of days taken to confirm a nomination.

Table A-2 contains summary information on appointments and nominations by organization. For each of the 34 independent boards and commissions discussed in this report, the appendix provides the number of positions, vacancies, incumbents whose term had expired, nominations, individual nominees, positions to which nominations were made, confirmations, nominations returned to the President, nominations withdrawn, and recess appointments.

A list of organization abbreviations can be found in Appendix B .

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is an independent agency consisting of five members (no political balance is required), including a chair, who serve five-year terms. The President appoints the members, including the chair, with the advice and consent of the Senate. When a term expires, the incumbent must leave office. (42 U.S.C. §7412(r)(6))

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. At the end of a term, a member may remain in office, unless replaced, until the end of the next session of Congress. The chair is also appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (7 U.S.C. §2(a)(2))

Consumer Product Safety Commission

The statute establishing the Consumer Product Safety Commission calls for five members who serve seven-year terms. No more than three members may be from the same political party. A member may remain in office for one year at the end of a term, unless replaced. The chair is also appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (15 U.S.C. §2053)

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. After a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President designates the chair and vice chair. (42 U.S.C. §2286)

Election Assistance Commission

The Election Assistance Commission consists of four members (no more than two may be from the same political party) who serve four-year terms. After a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The chair and vice chair, from different political parties and designated by the commission, change each year. (52 U.S.C. §20923)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. An incumbent whose term has expired may continue to serve until a successor is appointed, except that no such member may continue to serve (1) for more than 60 days when Congress is in session, unless a successor has been nominated or (2) after the adjournment of the session of the Senate in which the successor's nomination was submitted. The President designates the chair and the vice chair. The President also appoints the general counsel, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (42 U.S.C. §2000e-4)

Export-Import Bank Board of Directors

The Export-Import Bank Board of Directors comprises the bank president, who serves as chair; the bank first vice president, who serves as vice chair; and three other members (no more than three of these five may be from the same political party). All five members are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and serve for terms of up to four years. An incumbent whose term has expired may continue to serve until a successor is qualified, or until six months after the term expires—whichever occurs earlier (12 U.S.C. §635a). The President also appoints an inspector general, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (5 U.S.C. App., Inspector General Act of 1978, §3)

Farm Credit Administration

The Farm Credit Administration consists of three members (no more than two may be from the same political party) who serve six-year terms. A member may not succeed himself or herself unless he or she was first appointed to complete an unexpired term of three years or less. A member whose term expires may continue to serve until a successor takes office. One member is designated to serve as chair for the duration of the member's term. (12 U.S.C. §2242)

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until the end of the next session of Congress, unless a successor is appointed before that time. The President designates the chair. (47 U.S.C. §154)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Board of Directors

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Board of Directors consists of five members, of whom two—the comptroller of the currency and the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—are ex officio. The three appointed members serve six-year terms. An appointed member may continue to serve after the expiration of a term until a successor is appointed. Not more than three members of the board may be from the same political party. The President appoints the chair and the vice chair, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among the appointed members. The chair is appointed for a term of five years (12 U.S.C. §1812). The President also appoints the inspector general, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (5 U.S.C. App., Inspector General Act of 1978, §3)

Federal Election Commission

The Federal Election Commission consists of six members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who may serve for a single term of six years. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The chair and vice chair, from different political parties and elected by the commission, change each year. Generally, the vice chair succeeds the chair. (52 U.S.C. §30106)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an independent agency within the Department of Energy, consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office, except that such commissioner may not serve beyond the end of the session of the Congress in which his or her term expires. The President designates the chair. (42 U.S.C. §7171)

Federal Labor Relations Authority

The Federal Labor Relations Authority consists of three members (no more than two may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. After the date on which a five-year term would expire, a member may continue to serve until the end of the next Congress, unless a successor is appointed before that time. The President designates the chair. The President also appoints the general counsel, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (5 U.S.C. §7104)

Federal Maritime Commission

The Federal Maritime Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President designates the chair. (46 U.S.C. §301)

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission consists of five members (no political balance is required) who serve six-year terms. When a term expires, the member must leave office. The President designates the chair. (30 U.S.C. §823)

Federal Reserve System Board of Governors

The Federal Reserve System Board of Governors consists of 7 members (no political balance is required) who serve 14-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President appoints the chair and vice chair, who are separately appointed as members, for 4-year terms, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (12 U.S.C. §§241-242.)

Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve seven-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President designates the chair. (15 U.S.C. §41)

Financial Stability Oversight Council

The Financial Stability Oversight Council consists of 10 voting members and 5 nonvoting members, and is chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury. Of the 10 voting members, 9 serve ex officio, by virtue of their positions as leaders of other agencies. The remaining voting member is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate and serves full time for a term of six years. Of the five nonvoting members, two serve ex officio. The remaining three nonvoting members are designated through a process determined by the constituencies they represent, and they serve for terms of two years. The council is not required to have a balance of political party representation. (12 U.S.C. §5321)

Foreign Claims Settlement Commission

The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, located in the Department of Justice, consists of three members (political balance is not required) who serve three-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. Only the chair, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, serves full time. (22 U.S.C. §§1622, 1622c)

Merit Systems Protection Board

The Merit Systems Protection Board consists of three members (no more than two may be from the same political party) who serve seven-year terms. A member who has been appointed to a full seven-year term may not be reappointed to any following term. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve for one year, unless a successor is appointed before that time. The President appoints the chair, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and designates the vice chair. (5 U.S.C. §§1201-1203)

National Credit Union Administration Board of Directors

The National Credit Union Administration Board of Directors consists of three members (no more than two members may be from the same political party) who serve six-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President designates the chair. (12 U.S.C. §1752a)

National Labor Relations Board

The National Labor Relations Board consists of five members who serve five-year terms. Political balance is not required, but, by tradition, no more than three members are from the same political party. When a term expires, the member must leave office. The President designates the chair. The President also appoints the general counsel, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (29 U.S.C. §153)

National Mediation Board

The National Mediation Board consists of three members (no more than two may be from the same political party) who serve three-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The board annually designates a chair. (45 U.S.C. §154)

National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President appoints the chair from among the members for a two-year term, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and designates the vice chair. (49 U.S.C. §1111)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, the member must leave office. The President designates the chair. The President also appoints the inspector general, with the advice and consent of the Senate. (42 U.S.C. §5841 and 5 U.S.C. App., Inspector General Act of 1978, §3)

Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission consists of three members (political balance is not required) who serve six-year terms. When a term expires, the member must leave office. The President designates the chair. (29 U.S.C. §661)

Postal Regulatory Commission

The Postal Regulatory Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve six-year terms. After a term expires, a member may continue to serve until his or her successor takes office, but the member may not continue to serve for more than one year after the date upon which his or her term otherwise would expire. The President designates the chair, and the members select the vice chair. (39 U.S.C. §502)

Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve six-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. Only the chair, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, serves full time. (42 U.S.C. §2000ee)

The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, P.L. 110-53 , Title VIII, Section 801 (121 Stat. 352) established the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. As of the end of the 112 th Congress, four nominees were confirmed to the four part-time positions on the Board. Previously, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board functioned as part of the White House Office in the Executive Office of the President. That board ceased functioning on January 30, 2008.

Railroad Retirement Board

The Railroad Retirement Board consists of three members (political balance is not required) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President appoints the chair and an inspector general with the advice and consent of the Senate. (45 U.S.C. §231f and 5 U.S.C. App., Inspector General Act of 1978, §§3, 12)

Securities and Exchange Commission

The Securities and Exchange Commission consists of five members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until the end of the next session of Congress, unless a successor is appointed before that time. The President designates the chair. (15 U.S.C. §78d)

Surface Transportation Board

The Surface Transportation Board, located within the Department of Transportation, consists of three members (no more than two may be from the same political party) who serve five-year terms. When a term expires, the member may continue to serve until a successor takes office but not for more than one year after expiration. The President designates the chair. (49 U.S.C. §701)

United States International Trade Commission

The United States International Trade Commission consists of six members (no more than three may be from the same political party) who serve nine-year terms. A member of the commission who has served for more than five years is ineligible for reappointment. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. The President designates the chair and vice chair for two-year terms of office, but they may not belong to the same political party. The President may not designate a chair with less than one year of continuous service as a member. This restriction does not apply to the vice chair. (19 U.S.C. §1330)

United States Parole Commission

The United States Parole Commission is an independent agency in the Department of Justice. The commission consists of five commissioners (political balance is not required) who serve for six-year terms. When a term expires, a member may continue to serve until a successor takes office. In most cases, a commissioner may serve no more than 12 years. However, Section 11017(c) of P.L. 110-273 , enacted on November 2, 2002, provides that this limitation does not "apply to a person serving as Commissioner" when the act took effect. The President designates the chair (18 U.S.C. §4202). The commission was previously scheduled to be phased out, but Congress has extended its life several times. Under P.L. 112-44 , Section 2 (125 Stat. 532), it was extended until November 1, 2013. (18 U.S.C. §3551)

United States Sentencing Commission

The United States Sentencing Commission is a judicial branch agency that consists of seven voting members who are appointed to six-year terms and two nonvoting members. The seven voting members are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Only the chair and three vice chairs, selected from among the members, serve full time. The President appoints the chair, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and designates the vice chairs. At least three members must be federal judges. No more than four members may be of the same political party. No more than two vice chairs may be of the same political party. No voting member may serve more than two full terms. When a term expires, an incumbent may continue to serve until he or she is reappointed, a successor takes office, or Congress adjourns sine die at the end of the session that commences after the expiration of the term, whichever is earliest. The Attorney General (or designee) serves ex officio as a nonvoting member (28 U.S.C. §§991-992). The chair of the United State Parole Commission also is an ex officio nonvoting member of the commission. (18 U.S.C. §3551 note)

Appendix A. Summary of All Nominations and Appointments to Collegial Boards and Commissions

Appendix B. Board and Commission Abbreviations