As President Donald Trump begins staffing his new administration, questions about the Senate confirmation process have arisen. Members of the president’s Cabinet, as well as hundreds of other executive branch positions, require majority approval by the Senate.

Incoming presidents nominate their picks for top officials shortly after winning the election, but most of the proceedings occur in the next calendar year after the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. The Senate committee with jurisdiction over a position typically holds a hearing to determine how it will report the nomination to the full Senate. Some of these hearings are currently underway. 

Committees can make a favorable or unfavorable recommendation, forward the nomination without a recommendation, or take no action. Unless the committee declines to act, its report goes to the Senate floor for a vote, with a majority of the full Senate needed to approve a nomination.  

Indiana’s senators are Todd Young and Jim Banks. To contact Sen. Young about nominations under consideration, call (202) 224-5623, or use his office’s email contact form at Email Todd - Senator Young. Sen. Banks can be contacted through a form on his Senate website Senator Jim Banks. 

For more information on Senate efforts to consider nominations in 2025, please visit the Senate Finance Committee webpage and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee webpage.