Under the Constitution, the President and the Senate share the power to appoint the principal officers of the United States. Almost all of the highest-level political appointee positions in the federal government are filled by these officers. Three distinct stages mark the appointment process—selection and nomination by the President, consideration of the nomination by the Senate, and, if the nominee is confirmed, official appointment by the President. During the confirmation process in the Senate, a nomination is usually first referred to one (or sometimes more than one) committee. If the committee or committees report the nomination to the full Senate, or are discharged from further consideration of the nomination, it is placed on the Senate's Executive Calendar and may be called up for floor consideration. The following pages briefly describe the referral process and identify, for each committee to which referrals have been made, the positions that fall within the committee's jurisdiction. To start the process of making an appointment to an advice and consent position, the President submits a nomination to the Senate. The Senate's executive clerk, acting on behalf of the presiding officer, gives the presidential message a number, and most nominations are referred to the appropriate committee or committees on the day they are received. Such referrals are guided by Senate Rule XXV, which establishes the subject matters under the purview of each committee and directs that "all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating primarily to [those] subjects" be referred to that committee. Precedents set by prior referrals, standing orders, and unanimous consent (UC) agreements pertaining to referral of nominations may also influence the referral process. Most nominations are sent to a single committee. Occasionally, the Senate has agreed, by UC, standing order, or statute, to refer one or more nominations to more than one committee. Some UC agreements provided for such a multiple referral only in the case of a specific individual nomination, while other UC agreements applied to all future nominations to a particular position. Nominations that are referred to more than one committee may be referred jointly or sequentially. If a nomination is referred jointly, the committees receive it simultaneously and may consider it concurrently. All committees to which a nomination is referred must report it to the full Senate or be discharged from its further consideration before it may be considered on the floor. In the case of a sequential referral, the nomination is referred first to the committee of predominant jurisdiction and referred sequentially to another committee as specified by the UC agreement or standing order. UC agreements for sequential referral can stipulate that the nomination must be reported out of the second committee within a specified period of time (usually 20 days), or else that committee will be automatically discharged from further consideration of the nomination. Joint referral of a nomination has usually occurred when more than one committee appears to have had relatively equal jurisdictional claims. For example, since at least the beginning of the 109 th Congress, nominations to eight positions—two in the Office of Management and Budget and one each in the Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation—have been referred jointly to two committees. Sequential referral has been more likely when jurisdictional predominance appeared to favor one committee, but another committee also had some jurisdictional claim on the nomination. In those instances, the nomination has usually been referred to the committee with predominant jurisdiction, and, after being reported to the full Senate by that committee, it has been referred sequentially to other committees. For example, the Senate has agreed, by UC, to refer sequentially nominations to most inspector general (IG) positions . In a small number of cases, nominations have been referred to more than one committee on an ad hoc basis by UC. A 2004 nomination for Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement, for example, was first referred to the Committee on Finance. After the committee had reported the nomination, it was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and simultaneously re-referred to the Committee on Finance, pursuant to a UC agreement. A 2006 nomination to be Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research was initially referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Two days after this referral, the committee was discharged from further consideration of the nomination, and the nomination was referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence. The nomination remains in the jurisdiction of the Intelligence Committee. Also in 2006, a nomination to the position of federal coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects was initially referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Two weeks later, the Senate agreed, by UC, to discharge this committee from further consideration of the nomination, and to then refer the nomination to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. In some instances, different committees have exercised jurisdiction over different positions within the same department or agency. (For details, see the committee presentations that follow.) For example, six committees have jurisdiction over positions in the Department of Commerce, and four committees have jurisdiction over positions in the Department of the Interior. Usually, however, one committee has jurisdiction over most positions in a department or agency. The appointment provisions for certain executive branch chief financial officers (CFOs) are unusual. The Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, as amended, covers CFOs in 25 specified departments and agencies. Of these, 17 positions may be filled through appointment by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, or through designation by the President from among agency officials who have been confirmed by the Senate for other positions. These CFO positions are identified under the appropriate committees in this report. On June 29, 2011, the Senate adopted S.Res. 116 , a resolution establishing special expedited procedures governing Senate consideration of certain presidential nominations. Under the terms of the resolution, which operates as a standing order of the Senate, over 40 specified nominations or categories of nominations are, when received from the President, not referred to a Senate committee, but are instead placed directly on the Senate Executive Calendar under a newly created heading, "Privileged Nominations – Information Requested." A qualifying nomination will remain in this category until the Senate executive clerk receives written certification from the chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over the nomination that the "appropriate biographical and financial questionnaires have been received" from the nominee. Once certified in this way, the nomination in question is transferred by the executive clerk to a separate section of the Executive Calendar having the heading, "Privileged Nomination – Information Received," and it will remain in this status on the calendar for 10 days of Senate session. At the expiration of this 10-day period, the nomination is placed on the "Nominations" section of the Executive Calendar, where nominations reported by Senate committees are listed. The sponsor of S.Res. 116 indicated his view that they would be placed in this position on the Executive Calendar, "with the presumption that these noncontroversial positions would be [confirmed] by unanimous consent." Anytime that a nomination is on the Executive Calendar in either the "Information Requested" or "Information Received" section, any Senator, for himself or herself or on the behalf of another Senator, can direct that the nomination be referred to Senate committee in the usual fashion. On November 21, 2013, and again on April 6, 2017, the Senate voted to establish new precedents regarding the number of votes necessary to bring debate to a close on presidential nominations. Under these precedents, invoking cloture on presidential nominations currently requires a vote of a majority of Senators present and voting, or 51 votes if all 100 Senators vote. Prior to the establishment of these two precedents, the cloture threshold for nominations was three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 votes if there is not more than one vacancy in the Senate's membership. This report identifies, for each Senate committee to which nominations have been referred during recent Congresses, the positions over which the committee has exercised jurisdiction. The lists of presidentially appointed positions requiring Senate confirmation are based on referrals as of June 30, 2016. For each committee list, positions are categorized as full- or part-time and then grouped by department or agency. Where nominations have been referred to more than one committee, the positions are noted under each of the committees to which the nominations were referred. A footnote indicates the authority under which the referral to multiple committees was made. S. 679 , which became P.L. 112-166 , removed numerous presidentially appointed positions from the advice and consent process. A complete list of the presidentially appointed positions that no longer required Senate confirmation pursuant to the enactment of P.L. 112-166 may be found in the Appendix to this report. Policy areas are not specified in statute for some of the sub-secretary positions. The policy areas shown in the listings for such positions are drawn from the text of presidential nomination messages and information from agency officials. In these cases, titles, specific responsibilities, and referral patterns may change over time. Most appointments to departments and single-headed agencies are characterized by an indefinite tenure; office holders serve at the pleasure of the President. In contrast, terms of office for appointments to multi-member entities, such as commissions and boards, are often for fixed periods of time. For those positions that have fixed terms of office, the lists include the lengths of the terms. Some commissions, councils, and other multi-member entities are required, by their enabling statutes, to maintain political balance in some way. This is noted in parentheses where applicable. Nominations covered by S.Res. 116 are highlighted in the report with an asterisk, noting their privileged status under the standing order discussed above. The information provided in this report was compiled from the Senate nominations database of the Legislative Information System, which spans the 97 th Congress (1981-1982) to the present; data on departmental and agency websites; telephone conversations with agency officials; and the United States Code . Department of Agriculture Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Under Secretary—Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Under Secretary—Food Safety Under Secretary—Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary—Natural Resources and Environment Under Secretary—Research, Education, and Economics Under Secretary—Rural Development Under Secretary—Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Assistant Secretary—Civil Rights *Assistant Secretary—Congressional Relations *Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Inspector General Commodity Futures Trading Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office—Chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) Farm Credit Administration (political balance required) Member—three positions (six-year terms of office) Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac), Board of Directors *Member—5 (of 15 total) positions (indefinite terms of office; political balance required) Department of Defense Office of the Secretary Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Under Secretary—Comptroller/*Chief Financial Officer Under Secretary—Intelligence Under Secretary—Personnel and Readiness Under Secretary—Policy Deputy Chief Management Officer Principal Deputy Under Secretary—Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Principal Deputy Under Secretary—Comptroller Principal Deputy Under Secretary—Intelligence Principal Deputy Under Secretary—Personnel and Readiness Principal Deputy Under Secretary—Policy Assistant Secretary—Acquisition Assistant Secretary—Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Assistant Secretary—Global Strategic Affairs Assistant Secretary—Health Affairs Assistant Secretary—Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs Assistant Secretary—International Security Affairs *Assistant Secretary—Legislative Affairs Assistant Secretary—Logistics and Materiel Readiness Assistant Secretary—Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs Assistant Secretary—Operational Energy Plans and Programs Assistant Secretary—Readiness and Force Management Assistant Secretary—Research and Engineering Assistant Secretary—Reserve Affairs Assistant Secretary—Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Assistant Secretary—Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities Director—Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Director—Defense Research and Engineering Director—Operational Energy Plans and Programs Director—Operational Test and Evaluation Assistant to the Secretary—Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs General Counsel Inspector General Judge—U.S. Court of Military Commission Review—2 positions Military Officers (commissions and promotions) Department of the Air Force Secretary Under Secretary Assistant Secretary—Acquisition *Assistant Secretary—Financial Management/Comptroller Assistant Secretary—Manpower and Reserve Affairs Assistant Secretary—Installations, Environment, and Logistics General Counsel Department of the Army Secretary Under Secretary Assistant Secretary—Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Assistant Secretary—Civil Works *Assistant Secretary—Financial Management/Comptroller Assistant Secretary—Installations and Environment Assistant Secretary—Manpower and Reserve Affairs General Counsel Department of the Navy Secretary Under Secretary *Assistant Secretary—Financial Management/Comptroller Assistant Secretary—Energy, Installations, and Environment Assistant Secretary—Manpower and Reserve Affairs Assistant Secretary—Research, Development, and Acquisition General Counsel Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman (two-year term of office) Vice Chairman (two-year term of office) Chief of Staff (Army) (four-year term of office) Chief of Naval Operations (four-year term of office) Chief of Staff (Air Force) (four-year term of office) Commandant of the Marine Corps (four-year term of office) Chief of the National Guard Bureau (four-year term of office) Department of Energy Under Secretary—Nuclear Security/Administrator—National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Principal Deputy Administrator—NNSA Deputy Administrator—Defense Programs—NNSA Deputy Administrator—Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation—NNSA Assistant Secretary—Environmental Management Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (political balance required) Member—five positions (five-year terms of office) National Reconnaissance Office Director Inspector General National Security Agency Director Inspector General U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (political balance required) Judge—5 positions (15-year terms of office) Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Board of Regents Member—nine positions (six-year terms of office) Department of Commerc e Under Secretary—Export Administration Under Secretary—International Trade Assistant Secretary—Export Administration Assistant Secretary—Export Enforcement Assistant Secretary—Trade Promotion/Director General—U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Deputy Secretary Assistant Secretary—Community Planning and Development *Assistant Secretary—Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations Assistant Secretary—Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Assistant Secretary—Housing/Federal Housing Commissioner Assistant Secretary—Policy Development and Research Assistant Secretary—Public and Indian Housing *Chief Financial Officer Director—Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (five-year term) General Counsel Inspector General President—Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) Department of Transportation Administrator—Federal Transit Administration Department of the Treasury Under Secretary—Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Assistant Secretary—Financial Institutions Assistant Secretary—Financial Stability Assistant Secretary—International Markets and Development Assistant Secretary—Terrorist Financing Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Comptroller of the Currency (five-year term of office) Director of the Mint (five-year term of office) Director—Office of Financial Research (six-year term of office) Director—Office of Thrift Supervision (five-year term of office) Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Director Council of Economic Advisers (Executive Office of the President) Chair Export-Import Bank (political balance required) Member—five positions (four-year terms of office—Chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) Inspector General Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (political balance required) Member—three positions (six-year terms of office—Chair and vice chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) Inspector General Federal Housing Finance Agency (political balance required) Director Inspector General Federal Reserve System, Board of Governors Governor—7 positions (14-year terms of office—Chair and vice chair, who must be confirmed as both a governor and as chair and vice chair, also need to be confirmed for four-year terms in those offices) Financial Stability Oversight Council Member—10 voting positions and 5 nonvoting (six-year terms of office) National Credit Union Administration, Board of Directors (political balance required) Member—three positions (six-year terms of office) Securities and Exchange Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office) National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers, Board of Directors *Member—13 positions (one-year terms of office; political balance required) National Consumer Cooperative Bank, Board of Directors * Member—3 (of 15 total) positions (three-year terms of office) National Institute of Building Sciences, Board of Directors * Member—6 (of 21 total) positions (three-year terms of office) Securities Investor Protection Corporation, Board of Directors * Director—five (of seven total) positions (three-year terms of office) Office of Management and Budget (Executive Office of the President) Director Deputy Director Department of Commerce Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Economic Affairs Under Secretary—Standards and Technology/ Director—National Institute of Standards and Technology Assistant Secretary—*Administration/*Chief Financial Officer Assistant Secretary—Communications and Information *Assistant Secretary—Legislative Affairs Assistant Secretary—Manufacturing and Services Assistant Secretary—Technology Policy Assistant Secretary—Trade Promotion/Director General—U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service General Counsel Inspector General National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Under Secretary—Oceans and Atmosphere/Administrator—NOAA Assistant Secretary—Conservation and Management/Deputy Administrator—NOAA Assistant Secretary—Environmental Observation and Prediction—NOAA Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary/Administrator—Transportation Security Administration Commandant—United States Coast Guard Officers (commissions and promotions)—United States Coast Guard Officers Department of Transportation Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Policy Assistant Secretary—Aviation and International Affairs *Assistant Secretary—Governmental Affairs Assistant Secretary—Research and Technology Assistant Secretary—Transportation Policy Administrator—Federal Aviation Administration (five-year term of office) Administrator—Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator—Federal Railroad Administration Administrator—Maritime Administration Administrator—National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator—Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration *Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Inspector General Consumer Product Safety Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (seven-year terms of office) Federal Communications Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office) Federal Maritime Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office) Federal Trade Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (seven-year terms of office) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator Deputy Administrator *Chief Financial Officer Inspector General National Transportation Safety Board (political balance required) Member—five positions (five-year terms of office—the chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) Office of Science and Technology Policy (Executive Office of the President) Director Associate Director—Energy and Environment Associate Director—National Security and International Affairs Associate Director—Science Associate Director—Technology/Chief Technology Officer Surface Transportation Board (political balance required) Member—three positions (five-year terms of office) Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors (political balance required) Member—nine positions (six-year terms of office) Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Board of Directors * Member—three positions (six-year terms of office; political balance required) AMTRAK, Board of Directors Member—eight positions (five-year terms of office) Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Advisory Board (political balance required) *Member—five positions (indefinite terms of office) Department of Energy Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary Under Secretary—Science Administrator—Energy Information Administration *Assistant Secretary—Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Assistant Secretary—Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Assistant Secretary—Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Assistant Secretary—Environmental Management Assistant Secretary—Fossil Energy Assistant Secretary—International Affairs and Domestic Policy Assistant Secretary—Nuclear Energy Director—Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Director—Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Director—Office of Minority Economic Impact Director—Office of Science *Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Inspector General Department of the Interior Secretary Deputy Secretary Assistant Secretary—Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Assistant Secretary—Insular Affairs Assistant Secretary—Land and Minerals Management *Assistant Secretary—Management, and Budget/*Chief Financial Officer Assistant Secretary—Water and Science Commissioner—Bureau of Reclamation Director—Bureau of Land Management Director—National Park Service Director—Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Director—U.S. Geological Survey Inspector General Solicitor Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office) Office of the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects *Federal Coordinator Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board Member—potentially six positions (three-year terms of office) Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary—Economic Development Department of Defense Assistant Secretary—Army—Civil Works Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary—Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Department of Transportation Administrator—Federal Highway Administration Appalachian Regional Commission *Federal Cochair Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Member—five positions (five-year terms of office—the chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) Council on Environmental Quality (Executive Office of the President) Chair Delta Regional Authority Federal Cochair Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Deputy Administrator Assistant Administrator—Administration and Resources Management Assistant Administrator—Air and Radiation Assistant Administrator—Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator—Environmental Information/Chief Information Officer Assistant Administrator—International and Tribal Affairs Assistant Administrator—Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Assistant Administrator—Research and Development Assistant Administrator—Solid Waste and Emergency Response Assistant Administrator—Toxic Substances Assistant Administrator—Water *Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Inspector General Northern Border Regional Commission Federal Cochair Nuclear Regulatory Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office) Inspector General Office of Environmental Quality Deputy Director Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—nine positions (six-year terms of office) Tennessee Valley Authority, Board of Directors Member—nine positions (five-year terms of office) Inspector General Department of Commerce Under Secretary—International Trade Assistant Secretary—Import Administration Assistant Secretary—Market Access and Compliance Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Deputy Secretary Administrator—Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services *Assistant Secretary—Resources and Technology /*Chief Financial Officer Assistant Secretary—Family Support Assistant Secretary—Legislation Assistant Secretary—Planning and Evaluation Commissioner—Children, Youth, and Families General Counsel Inspector General Department of Homeland Security Commissioner—U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department of the Treasury Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Domestic Finance Under Secretary—International Affairs Under Secretary—Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Assistant Secretary—Economic Policy Assistant Secretary—Financial Markets Assistant Secretary (Deputy Under Secretary)—International Affairs Assistant Secretary—Tax Policy * Assistant Secretary (Deputy Under Secretary)—Legislative Affairs *Chief Financial Officer Chief Counsel—Internal Revenue Service/Assistant General Counsel for Tax Commissioner—Internal Revenue (five-year terms of office) General Counsel Inspector General Inspector General—Tax Administration Office of United States Trade Representative (Executive Office of the President) U.S. Trade Representative Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Director Social Security Administration Commissioner (six-year term of office) Deputy Commissioner (six-year term of office) Inspector General United States International Trade Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—six positions (nine-year terms of office) United States Tax Court Judge—19 positions (15-year terms of office) Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—two (of six total) positions (four-year terms of office) Federal Old-Age and Survivors Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance Trust Fund, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—two (of six total) positions (four-year terms of office) Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—two (of six total) positions (four-year terms of office) Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board * Member—seven (of nine total) positions (five-year terms of office) Social Security Advisory Board (political balance required) *Member—three (of seven total) positions (six-year terms of office) Department of State Secretary Deputy Secretary Deputy Secretary—Management and Resources Under Secretary—Arms Control and International Security Under Secretary—Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Under Secretary—Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Under Secretary—Management Under Secretary—Political Affairs Under Secretary—Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Assistant Secretary—African Affairs Assistant Secretary—Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Assistant Secretary—Budget and Planning/*Chief Financial Officer Assistant Secretary—Conflict and Stabilization Operations Assistant Secretary—Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary—Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Assistant Secretary—Diplomatic Security/Director—Office of Foreign Missions Assistant Secretary—East Asian and Pacific Affairs Assistant Secretary—Economic, Energy and Business Affairs Assistant Secretary—Educational and Cultural Affairs Assistant Secretary—European and Eurasian Affairs Assistant Secretary—International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Assistant Secretary—International Organization Affairs Assistant Secretary—International Security and Nonproliferation *Assistant Secretary—Legislative Affairs Assistant Secretary—Near Eastern Affairs Assistant Secretary—Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Assistant Secretary—Political-Military Affairs Assistant Secretary—Population, Refugees and Migration Assistant Secretary—South and Central Asian Affairs Assistant Secretary—Western Hemisphere Affairs Ambassador-at-Large—Coordinator—Counterterrorism Ambassador-at-Large—Global Women's Issues Ambassador-at-Large—Director—Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Ambassador-at-Large—International Religious Freedom Ambassador-at-Large—War Crimes Issues U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Coordinator—Reconstruction and Stabilization Coordinator—U.S. Global AIDS Director General—Foreign Service *Chief Financial Officer Inspector General Legal Adviser Chief of Protocol Ambassadors Foreign Service Officers (numerous commissions and promotions) U.S. Mission to the United Nations U.S. Permanent Representative and Chief of Mission—United Nations U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative—United Nations U.S. Representative—United Nations Economic and Social Council U.S. Alternate Representative—Special Political Affairs in the United Nations U.S. Representative—United Nations Management and Reform U.S. Representative—European Office of the United Nations (Geneva) U.S. Representative—Vienna Office of the United Nations (also serves as a representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency) U.S. Representative—International Atomic Energy Agency U.S. Deputy Representative—International Atomic Energy Agency U.S. Representative and Alternate Representatives to sessions of the General Assembly and other United Nations Bodies—numerous positions (terms of office depends on length of session) U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Deputy Administrator Assistant Administrator—Sub-Saharan Africa Assistant Administrator—Asia Assistant Administrator—Europe and Eurasia Assistant Administrator—Food Safety Assistant Administrator—Global Health Assistant Administrator—Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance Assistant Administrator—Latin America and Caribbean Assistant Administrator—Middle East *Assistant Administrator—Legislative and Public Affairs Assistant Administrator—Policy, Planning and Learning Assistant Administrator—Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade Inspector General European Bank for Reconstruction and Development U.S. Executive Director International Broadcasting Bureau, Broadcasting Board of Governors Director International Joint Commission, United States and Canada Commissioner—three positions International Monetary Fund U.S. Executive Director (two-year term of office) U.S. Alternate Executive Director (two-year term of office) Inter-American Development Bank U.S. Executive Director (three-year term of office—The incumbent of this position also serves as U.S. Executive Director for the Inter-American Investment Corporation) U.S. Alternate Executive Director (three-year term of office—The incumbent of this position also serves as U.S. Alternate Executive Director for the Inter-American Investment Corporation) U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director African Development Bank U.S. Executive Director (five-year term of office; full-time) Governor and Alternate Governor (five-year terms of office; part-time) Asian Development Bank U.S. Executive Director (full-time) Governor and Alternate Governor (part-time) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development U.S. Executive Director (two-year term of office; full-time—The incumbent also serves as U.S. Executive Director for the International Finance Corporation and the International Development Association) U.S. Alternate Executive Director (two-year term of office; full-time—The incumbent also serves as U.S. Alternate Executive Director for the International Finance Corporation and the International Development Association) Governor (same individual as the International Monetary Fund Governor; five-year term of office; part-time—The incumbent also serves as Governor for the International Finance Corporation and the International Development Association) Alternate Governor (five-year term of office; part-time—The incumbent also serves as Alternate Governor for the International Finance Corporation and the International Development Association) Millennium Challenge Corporation Chief Executive Officer (full-time) *Member, Board of Directors—four (of nine total) positions (part-time; three-year terms of office) Overseas Private Investment Corporation President/Chief Executive Officer (full-time) Executive Vice President (full-time) *Member, Board of Directors—8 (of 15 total) positions (part-time; three-year terms of office) Peace Corps Director (full-time) Deputy Director (full-time) *Member, National Peace Corps Advisory Council—15 positions (part-time; political balance required; two-year terms of office) Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting (political balance required) *Member—eight positions (three-year terms of office) African Development Foundation, Board of Directors (political balance required) *Member—seven positions (six-year terms of office) African Development Fund Governor and Alternate Governor Broadcasting Board of Governors (political balance required) Member—eight (of nine total) positions (three-year terms of office) Inter-American Foundation, Board of Directors (political balance required) *Member—nine positions (six-year terms of office) U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (political balance required) *Commissioner—seven positions (three-year terms of office) Department of Education Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary Assistant Secretary—Civil Rights Assistant Secretary—Communications and Outreach Assistant Secretary—Elementary and Secondary Education *Assistant Secretary—Legislation and Congressional Affairs Assistant Secretary—Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Assistant Secretary—Postsecondary Education Assistant Secretary—Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Assistant Secretary—Vocational and Adult Education *Chief Financial Officer *Commissioner—Rehabilitation Services Administration Director—Institute of Education Sciences (six-year term of office) General Counsel Inspector General Department of Health and Human Services Administrator—Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Assistant Secretary—Aging Assistant Secretary—Health *Assistant Secretary—Legislation Assistant Secretary—Preparedness and Response *Commissioner—Administration for Children, Youth, Families Commissioner—Food and Drugs Director—National Institutes of Health Surgeon General (four-year term of office) Public Health Service—Officer Corps Department of Labor Secretary Deputy Secretary *Assistant Secretary—Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Assistant Secretary—Disability Employment Policy Assistant Secretary—Employee Benefits Security Administration Assistant Secretary—Employment and Training Administration Assistant Secretary—Mine Safety and Health Administration Assistant Secretary—Occupational Safety and Health Administration Assistant Secretary—Policy Assistant Secretary—Veterans' Employment and Training Service Administrator—Wage and Hour Division Commissioner—Bureau of Labor Statistics *Chief Financial Officer Inspector General Solicitor Corporation for National and Community Service Chief Executive Officer Inspector General Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (five-year terms of office) General Counsel (four-year term of office) Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Commissioner—five positions (six-year terms of office) National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities National Endowment for the Arts—Chair (four-year term of office) National Endowment for the Humanities—Chair (four-year term of office) Institute of Museum and Library Services—Director (four-year term of office) National Labor Relations Board (Political balance is not required, but, by tradition, no more than three members are from the same party.) Member—five positions (five-year terms of office) General Counsel (four-year term of office) National Mediation Board (political balance required) Member—three positions (three-year terms of office) National Science Board Member—24 positions (six-year terms of office) National Science Foundation Director (six-year term of office) Deputy Director Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Member—three positions (six-year terms of office) Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Director Railroad Retirement Board Member—three positions (five-year terms of office—Chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) Inspector General Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—8 (of 13 total) positions (six-year terms of office) Corporation for National and Community Service, Board of Directors (political balance required) *Member—15 positions (five-year terms of office) Harry S . Truman Scholarship Foundation, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—8 (of 13 total) positions (six-year terms of office) James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, Board of Trustees (political balance required) *Member—6 (of 13 total) positions (six-year terms of office) Legal Services Corporation Board of Directors (political balance required) *Member—11 positions (three-year terms of office) National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities National Council on the Arts * Member—18 positions (of 25 total) positions (six-year terms of office) National Council on the Humanities * Member—26 positions (of 27 total) positions (six-year terms of office) United States Institute of Peace, Board of Directors (political balance required) *Chairman *Vice Chairman *Member—10 (of 15 total) positions (four-year terms of office) Department of Commerce Director—Bureau of the Census (five-year term of office) Department of Homeland Security Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Management Under Secretary—National Protection and Programs Under Secretary—Science and Technology Assistant Secretary—Policy Assistant Secretary—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary/Administrator—Transportation Security Administration Administrator—Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deputy Administrator—FEMA Deputy Administrator—Protection and National Preparedness (FEMA) *Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Inspector General Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency to the District of Columbia Director (six-year term of office) District of Columbia Court of Appeals (15-year terms of office) Chief Judge Associate Judges—eight positions District of Columbia Superior Court (15-year terms of office) Chief Judge Associate Judges—61 positions Superior Court of the District of Columbia (four-year terms of office) United States Marshal Federal Labor Relations Authority (political balance required) Members—three positions (five-year terms of office) General Counsel (five-year term of office) General Accountability Office Comptroller General (15-year term of office) Deputy Comptroller General General Services Administration Administrator Inspector General Merit Systems Protection Board (political balance required) Member—three positions (seven-year terms of office—chair must be confirmed as both a member and as chair) National Archives and Records Administration Archivist Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Office of Government Ethics Director (five-year term of office) Office of Management and Budget (Executive Office of the President) Director Deputy Director Deputy Director—Management Administrator—Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator—Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs *Controller—Office of Federal Financial Management Office of Personnel Management Director (four-year term of office) Deputy Director Inspector General Office of Special Counsel Special Counsel (five-year term of office) Postal Regulatory Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—five positions (six-year terms of office) Most Other Inspectors General Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board *Member—five positions (four-year terms of office) Special Panel on Appeals Chair (six-year term of office) United States Postal Service Board of Governors (political balance required) Governor—nine positions (nine-year terms of office) Department of Health and Human Services Director—Indian Health Service (four-year term of office) *Commissioner—Administration for Native Americans Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs Chair—National Indian Gaming Commission (three-year term of office) Special Trustee—American Indians Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General—National Security Division Department of State Assistant Secretary—Intelligence and Research Department of the Treasury Assistant Secretary—Intelligence and Analysis Central Intelligence Agency Director General Counsel Inspector General Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Director Principal Deputy Director Director—National Counterterrorism Center General Counsel National Counterintelligence Executive Inspector General of the Intelligence Community National Reconnaissance Office Director Inspector General National Security Agency Director Inspector General Department of Commerce Under Secretary—Intellectual Property/Director—U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department of Justice Attorney General Deputy Attorney General Associate Attorney General Assistant Attorney General—Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General—Civil Division Assistant Attorney General—Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General—Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General—Environment and Natural Resources Division *Assistant Attorney General—Legislative Affairs Assistant Attorney General—National Security Division Assistant Attorney General—Office of Justice Programs Assistant Attorney General—Office of Legal Counsel Assistant Attorney General—Office of Legal Policy Assistant Attorney General—Tax Division Administrator—Drug Enforcement Administration Deputy Administrator—Drug Enforcement Administration Director—Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director—Community Relations Service (four-year term of office) Director—Federal Bureau of Investigation (10-year term of office) Director—Office on Violence Against Women Director—U.S. Marshals Service Inspector General Solicitor General Special Counsel—Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (four-year term of office) U.S. Attorney—93 positions (four-year terms of office) U.S. Marshal—93 positions (four-year terms of office) Foreign Claims Settlement Commission Chair—(three-year term of office; nominated from among commissioner members—See additional listing under part-time positions below) Office of National Drug Control Policy (Executive Office of the President) Director Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Chair—(six-year term of office) United States Circuit Court Judges—179 positions (life tenure) United States Court of Federal Claims Judges—16 positions (15-year terms of office) United States Court of International Trade (life tenure) Judges—nine positions (political balance required) United States District Courts Judges—677 positions (most are life tenure—also includes 4 judges in 3 territorial courts, who are appointed to 10-year terms of office.) United States Parole Commission Member—five positions (six-year term of office) United States Sentencing Commission Chair—(six-year term of office; nominated from among commission members) Vice Chair—three positions (six-year terms of office; designated from among commission members) United States Supreme Court Chief Justice—(life tenure) Associate Justices—eight positions (life tenure) Foreign Claims Settlements Commission * Member—three positions (three-year terms of office—One person is nominated to be the full-time chair of the commission along with two part-time members (22 U.S.C. §1622c(b)) Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Member—four positions (six-year term of office) State Justice Institute, Board of Directors (political balance required) * Director—11 positions (three-year terms of office, 42 U.S.C. §10708(a)(1)(c)) United States Sentencing Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—three positions (six-year terms of office) Architect of the Capitol Architect (10-year term of office) Election Assistance Commission (political balance required) Commissioner—four positions (four-year terms of office) Federal Election Commission (political balance required) Commissioners—six positions (six-year terms of office) Government Publish ing Office Public Printer Library of Congress Librarian (10-year term of office) Small Business Administration Administrator Deputy Administrator Chief Counsel for Advocacy Inspector General Department of Labor Assistant Secretary—Veterans' Employment and Training Service Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary—Benefits (four-year term of office) Under Secretary—Health (four-year term of office) Under Secretary—Memorial Affairs *Assistant Secretary—Congressional and Legislative Affairs Assistant Secretary—Information and Technology Assistant Secretary—Policy and Planning Chair—Board of Veterans' Appeals (six-year term of office) *Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Inspector General United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judge—37 positions (15-year terms of office)

Summary: As part of the process of making an appointment to an advice and consent position, the President submits a nomination to the Senate. Most nominations are referred to the appropriate Senate committee or committees on the day they are received. Such referrals are guided by Senate Rule XXV, which establishes the subject matter under the purview of each committee and directs that "all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating primarily to [those] subjects" be referred to that committee. Precedents set by prior referrals, standing orders, and unanimous consent (UC) agreements adopted by the Senate pertaining to the referral of nominations may also influence the referral process. Most nominations are referred to one committee. For some positions, a nomination or series of nominations to a position are referred to more than one committee, pursuant to a standing order, a UC agreement, or a statutory provision. A nomination may be jointly or sequentially referred to multiple committees. Joint referral has generally occurred when more than one committee has had a claim to jurisdiction over the subject matter related to the position. Under joint referral, the committees receive the nomination simultaneously and may consider it concurrently. All committees to which a nomination is referred must report it to the full Senate or be discharged from its further consideration before it may be considered on the floor. Sequential referral has generally occurred when one committee has had predominant jurisdiction over the subject matter related to the position, but another committee has had a claim as well. Under this process, a nomination is referred to the committee with predominant jurisdiction first and is then sequentially referred to additional committees. Consideration of subsequent referrals can be subject to a time limit after which the committee or committees without primary jurisdiction are automatically discharged from further consideration of the nomination. Certain "privileged" nominations or categories of nominations are subject to a potentially more expedited Senate consideration pursuant to a standing order first adopted in the 112th Congress (2011-2012). This report identifies, by Senate committee, presidentially appointed positions requiring Senate confirmation as of June 30, 2016. For each committee list, positions are categorized as full- or part-time and then grouped by department or agency. Where nominations have been referred to more than one committee, they are noted under each of the committees to which the nominations were referred. The lists also include the lengths of fixed terms, where applicable. Some commissions, councils, and other multi-member entities are required, by their enabling statutes, to maintain political balance in some way. This is noted in parentheses where applicable. S. 679, which became P.L. 112-166 on August 10, 2012, removed numerous presidentially appointed positions from the advice and consent process for relevant U.S. Senate committees. A complete list of the presidentially appointed positions that no longer require Senate confirmation may be found in the Appendix of this report. The information provided in this report was compiled from the Senate nominations database of the Legislative Information System available to both the congressional community and the public at https://www.congress.gov/nominations; data on departmental and agency websites; telephone conversations with agency officials; and the United States Code. For related information, see CRS Report RL31980, Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure, by Elizabeth Rybicki.