Former Senators Domenici, Lott and Kempthorne and Former Secretary Glickman Urge Senate to Pass Legislation Improving the Confirmation Process

Bipartisan Policy Center co-chairs say many people dedicated to public service are discouraged from serving because of the length and extremely adversarial nature of the appointment process

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) today released a letter from former Senators Pete Domenici, Trent Lott, Dirk Kempthorne and former Secretary Dan Glickman calling on the U.S. Senate to pass legislation to "improve the nomination and confirmation process" for political appointees.  Stating that "the problem and the solution are truly bipartisan," the foursome urges the Senate take "small but important steps in the right direction."

"We fully support the Senate's efforts to improve the nomination and confirmation process by reducing the number of political appointees who require Senate confirmation, forming a commission to make recommendations for a more efficient financial disclosure and background check process, and streamlining the Senate confirmation process for nominees to advisory boards and commissions," said the former senators and secretary.  "Presidents of both parties and Senates controlled by both parties have experienced difficulties in the presidential appointment and Senate confirmation process.  With each recent presidency, the time to select, nominate and confirm appointees has lengthened."    

The two bills before the Senate (S. 679 and S. Res. 116) "propose modest improvements in the system" without altering the fundamental character of the appointment and confirmation process.  The BPC co-chairs write, "We hope that in the future the Senate will continue to work to improve the confirmation process by coordinating Senate committee financial disclosure forms and executive branch disclosure forms.  And we encourage consultation between the executive and legislative branches to find ways to limit the use of the recess appointment power."

Read a copy of the entire letter here.  

For more information on the BPC's Democracy Project, co-chaired by Senator Kempthorne, Secretary Glickman and AOL co-founder Steve Case, and dedicated to improving government's efficiency and effectiveness, click here.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:

Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, the BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach.  For more information, please visit our website: www.bipartisanpolicy.org.

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center