At the Napa conference, Catholic leaders from all over the country had the same question for me:
"What's going on with Senate confirmations?"
It's a fair question — and the answer is troubling.
Six months into the Trump administration, only 102 out of 356 presidential nominations submitted to the Senatehave been confirmed.
The process for confirming presidential nominees to key positions has slowed to a crawl.
The truth is that a new administration cannot function effectively without a team in place. Yet today, hundreds of important posts remain unfilled, not because of a lack of qualified candidates, but because the process itself is broken.
Ambassadors, agency heads, deputy secretaries — even posts that historically receive unanimous consent — are languishing without a vote. This is not normal, and it is not healthy for our republic.
At CatholicVote, we've seen the impact firsthand.
Our own Brian Burch was nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. His qualifications are clear, his hearing went forward, and his nomination was voted out of committee with support. Yet months later, the full Senate has not brought his nomination to the floor.
His story is far from unique.
This isn't about one person or one political party. It's about whether our system can still work as it was designed. In past decades, there was an understood civility in this process — a recognition that the American people, regardless of party, deserve a functioning government with capable leaders in place.
The current logjam reflects something deeper than political disagreement. It points to a breakdown in the shared commitment to govern effectively. At a time when our challenges — both domestic and international — require wisdom, stability, and action, we cannot afford to let partisan gamesmanship paralyze our institutions.
We need a return to common sense. We need leaders willing to prioritize the good of the nation over point-scoring. We need a process that honors both healthy scrutiny and the timely installation of those entrusted with serving the American people.
The Constitution gives the Senate a crucial role in advice and consent. It also assumes that this role will be carried out in good faith.
It's time to recover that trust. It's time to get back to work.
Go forward bravely,
Kelsey Reinhardt
President, CatholicVote
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