Senators want to reduce number of confirmations

If a bipartisan group of senators has its way, presidential nominations that require Senate confirmation would be reduced by a third, the Associated Press reports.

Although the Senate would still confirm about 1,000 executive nominees, under the proposal about 200 executive nominations would no longer go through the lengthy confirmation process, including positions such as chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the State Department's assistant secretary for public affairs, and the Treasury Department's director of the Mint.

The plan is an effort to make the Senate a more efficient and less partisan body, the article states.