Hunter Bates Quoted in Law360 on Logjam in Senate Confirmation Process

Hunter Bates, co-head of the public and policy practice at Akin Gump, has been quoted in the Law360 article “Dems And Trump Remain At Odds On Nominees,” which reports there are nearly 140 officials and judges still waiting to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Those confirmed before the summer recess, the article notes, represent the individuals with the most bipartisan agreement, occupying positions in the departments of Defense and Justice, among others.

With many other administration and judicial appointees still working their way through the confirmation process, Bates, who served as legal counsel and chief of staff to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, said that disputes over individual nominees—and Democratic efforts to slow down their appointments over political and process disputes—have been a major hurdle for the Trump administration.

“There is no question that the confirmation process has been one of the biggest challenges in 2017, and for every other president, the Senate has been able to approve nominees without requiring days of debate and roll call votes,” Bates said.