How Trump avoids confirmations: pick deputy assistants first, who don't need confirmation

[muriel_volestrangler]

and they then get to be acting head of an office that should have someone at 'assistant secretary' level who would go through the confirmation process. As spotted by n2doc in this thread: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141753739#post6

From the ProPublica article:

On Wednesday, DeVos formally announced Jackson’s position as deputy assistant secretary in the Office for Civil Rights, a role that does not require Senate confirmation. The 39-year-old attorney will act as assistant secretary in charge of the office until that position is filled. DeVos has not yet selected a nominee, who would have to receive Senate confirmation. As acting head, Jackson is in charge of about 550 full-time department staffers, who are responsible for investigating thousands of civil rights complaints each year.

https://www.propublica.org/article/devos-candice-jackson-civil-rights-office-education-department

(The main story there is about Candice Jackson:

"The new acting head of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights once complained that she experienced discrimination because she is white.&quot

[Igel]

1. Moderately clever.

To what end is a matter of speculation.

Even including the information that was included presupposes that information presented is what's relevant. That's ambiguous.

On the one hand, Trump has a freer hand. Business folk like having a free hand. Government bureaucracies like things to move at a glacial pace.

On the other hand, almost every confirmation will be a political fight. That would tie up everything in Congress for months.