Center for Presidential Transition via Congress.gov, historical data provided by the Partnership for Public Service; Chart: Will Chase/Axios
The Senate has confirmed just two of President Biden's ambassadorial nominations, far behind the 56 confirmed envoys President Obama had at this stage, according to data compiled by the Partnership for Public Service.
The big picture: Just one in four other national security positions at the Pentagon and Departments of Justice and State are filled.
- That compares with 57% of positions filled at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been preventing most ambassadors from moving to the floor for a vote.
Why it matters: “Twenty years later, we only have 26% of key national security positions confirmed by the Senate," said Partnership for Public Service CEO and President Max Stier.
- "The broken Senate confirmation process made our country less safe then, and it makes us even less safe now.”
