Obama Nominees

Senate Gets Something Done

AP | LARRY MARGASAK | Posted 04.10.2012

WASHINGTON — For a brief moment in a season of partisan rancor, the Democratic leader of the Senate and his Republican counterpart hit the pause...

Jennifer Bendery

Harry Reid Forces Action On Stalled Judicial Nominees

HuffingtonPost.com | Jennifer Bendery | Posted 03.12.2012

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that he is moving forward with a package of stalled judicial nominees and ef...

Arun Majumdar Should Be Confirmed as Undersecretary of Energy

James M. Gentile | Posted 04.24.2012

James M. Gentile

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the nomination on December 15. More than two months later, Dr. Majumdar's confirmation has gone no further.

Jennifer Bendery

Harry Reid: I'll Ask Obama To Recess Appoint All Nominees If GOP Delays Continue

HuffingtonPost.com | Jennifer Bendery | Posted 02.17.2012

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) fired a warning shot to Republicans on Friday: Stop blocking President Barack Obama's executi...

Obama Second Term Could Create Dramatic Change

AP | MARK SHERMAN | Posted 04.06.2012

WASHINGTON — A second term for President Barack Obama would allow him to expand his replacement of Republican-appointed majorities with Democrat...

Obama Nominees Still Hanging In The Balance

AP | LARRY MARGASAK | Posted 03.24.2012

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are returning to Washington in an angry mood over President Barack Obama's appointments to two key agencies duri...

Jennifer Bendery

Richard Cordray: My Appointment Is Valid

HuffingtonPost.com | Jennifer Bendery | Posted 01.05.2012

WASHINGTON -- Less than a day after his controversial recess appointment, Richard Cordray on Thursday moved full steam ahead with his plans for runnin...

With Nominations, the Senate GOP Legislates by Gridlock

Marge Baker | Posted 02.08.2012

Marge Baker

They are abusing their positions and throwing sand in the gears of the Senate to make it harder for ordinary Americans to get our day in court and to defend ourselves against the powerful. It's a deeply cynical strategy, and ultimately a deeply harmful one.

Jennifer Bendery

Senate GOP Blocks Obama Nominee

HuffingtonPost.com | Jennifer Bendery | Posted 02.07.2012

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked an effort to put someone in charge at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a move that preve...

Cantor Takes Unexpected Stance On Obama Nominee

AP | RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR | Posted 01.29.2012

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's Medicare nominee Tuesday got unexpected support from one of Congress' Republican stars. House Majority Lea...

Senate Confirms Gay Federal Judge Nominee

AP | Posted 12.13.2011

WASHINGTON — Without Republican support, the Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed an openly gay woman to become a federal judge in New York. T...

Republicans Vow To Block Obama's CFPB Nominee

Posted 09.17.2011

By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama warned the financial industry Monday to stop fighting his administration's reforms to help ...

Jennifer Bendery

White House Poised To Take On Judicial Vacancy 'Crisis'

HuffingtonPost.com | Jennifer Bendery | Posted 08.13.2011

WASHINGTON -- In an incredibly rare public appearance in February, White House counsel Bob Bauer warned that the political standoff over judicial nomi...

GOP Senator Lifts Hold On Obama Nominee After Deepwater Drilling Fight

AP | Posted 08.01.2011

NEW ORLEANS (AP/The Huffington Post) -- U.S. Sen. David Vitter says he will release his hold on Dan Ashe, the president's nominee to head the U.S. Fis...

Sam Stein

Democrats, Hoping To Break Through Impasse, Reach Deal On Three Judges

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 05.25.2011

WASHINGTON -- In what Senate Democrats are hoping is a sign of forthcoming comity around the politics of filling judicial vacancies, Republicans have ...

Sam Stein

Obama's Chief Counsel: A Cold War Political Crisis Is Endangering Judicial Nominees

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 05.25.2011

WASHINGTON -- In an extremely rare public appearance on Tuesday, White House Counsel Bob Bauer attributed the "pernicious" crisis over the state of co...

One Year and Waiting -- The Nomination of Edward M. Chen

Kenneth K. Lee | Posted 05.25.2011

Kenneth K. Lee

It is not in the long-term interest of the Republicans or the country to engage in a de facto filibuster of Judge Edward Chen. It's time to give him an up-or-down vote.

Senators Calling For End To Secret Holds Have Holds Of Their Own: Survey

The Hill | J. Taylor Rushing | Posted 05.25.2011

At least three senators who want to end the practice of placing secret holds on nominees and legislation have holds of their own, according to a surve...

Sam Stein

RNC Accuses Obama Of Shredding Constitution, Nominating Sex-Offender Defenders

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 05.25.2011

The Republican National Committee launched a new website on Wednesday that accuses the president of trying to shred the founding purposes of the Const...

Democrats Slam GOP's Secret Holds On Obama Nominees

Posted 05.25.2011

The number of Obama nominees being blocked by Senate Republicans dropped under 100 this week, as Lael Brainard was confirmed as the Treasury Departmen...

Obama Appointee May Have Bashed President In Online Forums

ABC News | Rick Klein | Posted 05.25.2011

"On a Washington Post blog, djlndc wrote last February, "the leftist media [are] covering for Obama -- just like during the campaign." [...] Last mont...

Dan Froomkin

Obama Recess Appointments: 5 More He Should Make (Vote For Your Favorites)

HuffingtonPost.com | Dan Froomkin | Posted 05.25.2011

President Obama on Saturday made 15 recess appointments, using his power to unilaterally install top officials in his government when the Senate isn't...

Robert Harding, Obama's Second TSA Nominee, Withdraws From Consideration

AP | EILEEN SULLIVAN | Posted 05.25.2011

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is back to square one – again – in finding a transportation security chief to shore up the natio...

Clinton: Obstruction Of Nominees Is Hurting America Abroad

AP | MATTHEW LEE | Posted 05.25.2011

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton complained Wednesday that domestic political battles are hurting the president's foreign ...

Obama Can't Fire Anyone: The Hidden Cost of Senate Gridlock

The Washington Post | Ezra Klein | Posted 05.25.2011

Like virtually all of Washington, the Senate shut down last week in the face of heavy snow. But while a closed gas station is very different from an o...