U.S. President Donald Trump doses off while listening to attendees' remarks during an executive order signing ceremony on easing federal regulations on marijuana at the White House on the 18th.
President Donald Trump’s administration has broken an embarrassing record not seen since Ronald Reagan was in office almost four decades ago.
The Trump White House has accumulated more unfilled Senate-confirmed leadership positions than any administration since Reagan, according to a new report on a chaotic staffing problem across the federal government.
A nonpartisan analysis by the Partnership for Public Service found that vacancies have reached levels unseen in roughly four decades, despite Republicans controlling both chambers of the U.S. Congress and Trump’s team initially filling positions at a frantic pace, The Washington Post reported Monday.
As of this month, the report found that 249 positions requiring Senate confirmation had no nominee, while 110 nominees remained unconfirmed. The backlog has frustrated administration officials who fear crucial jobs will remain empty and potentially be filled by Democrats if the GOP loses the Senate. The roles include national security, immigration, energy, and economic policy.
The report blames the crisis on the administration’s high turnover, slow confirmations, and numerous nominations that didn’t qualify for the role or were forced to withdraw
During Trump’s first year of his second term, his administration filled 452 Senate-confirmed positions, which was faster than in his first term. However, by October 20, the White House had submitted only 186 nominations this year.
WaPo quotes Trent Morse, the former deputy director of personnel during the transition and the first year of the current Trump administration, who said: “At the beginning, every week was a march to get as many appointees as we could in a record amount of time. That’s not the responsibility when you’re in that second year.”
Another reason for the slow rollout is responsibility. Deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino warned that those who recommend a candidate will have their “name is 100 percent attached to them.”
Some officials believe the operation has become rather cautious and, as a result, is making staffers extra cautious to avoid controversial picks. Others feel more thorough background checks are needed given the number of staffing issues we've had.
Katie Zacharia, who was handpicked by the president, served as a warning about proper vetting, per the report.
Zacharia has a record-breaking five days as press secretary before quitting amid questions about her legal credentials and a widely panned debut. The personnel office was not responsible for her appointment since Trump picked her without thorough background checks.
Meanwhile, the White House is standing by Scavino and his deputy, Morgan Dewitt. Chief of staff Susie Wiles defended Scavino and praised his experience working with Trump in a statement:
“Having served throughout the first administration, Dan brings unmatched experience, professionalism, and institutional knowledge. He has earned the President’s trust, and he certainly has mine.”
The report also notes that the White House provided other statements praising Scavino’s work.
A Reagan appointee warned that if the Republicans lose the Senate, the staffing crisis is “going to get a lot worse.”
