	Introduction

This report provides an overview of the process for filling positions to which the President makes appointments with the advice and consent of the Senate (PAS positions). It also specifies, for the 109 th Congress (January 2005-December 2006), all nominations to full-time positions on 33 regulatory and other collegial boards and commissions that have such positions (e.g., the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Election Assistance Commission). Profiles of each board and commission provide information on their organizational structures, membership as of the end of the 109 th Congress, and appointment activity during that Congress. Three distinct stages mark the appointment process: selection, clearance, and nomination by the President; consideration by the Senate; and appointment by the President. Most nominations are sent to a single committee. Appointments During the 109th Congress

During the 109 th Congress, President George W. Bush submitted nominations to the Senate for 84 of the 151 full-time positions on 33 regulatory and other boards and commissions. (Most of the remaining positions on these boards and commissions were not vacant during that time.) A total of 111 nominations were submitted for these positions, of which 79 were confirmed, 6 were withdrawn, and 26 were returned to the President. The number of nominations exceeded the number of positions for two reasons. President Bush made 12 recess appointments to regulatory and other boards and commissions: 10 when the Senate was adjourned during a session (intrasession recess appointments) and 2 between sessions (intersession recess appointments). Table 1 summarizes the appointment activity for the 109 th Congress. At the end of the 109 th Congress,12 incumbents were serving past the expiration of their terms. In addition, there were 12 vacancies among the 151 positions. The organizational sections discuss the statutory requirements for the appointed positions, including the number of members on each board or commission, their terms of office, whether or not they may continue in their positions after their terms expire, whether or not political balance is required, and the method for selection of the chair. The chair is also appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The President makes appointments, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to some 151 full-time leadership positions on 33 federal regulatory and other collegial boards and commissions. This appointment process consists of three distinct stages: selection, clearance, and nomination by the President; consideration by the Senate; and appointment by the President. These advice and consent positions can also temporarily be filled by the President alone through a recess appointment. Membership positions on this set of collegial bodies often have fixed terms, and incumbents are often protected from arbitrary removal by the President. The enabling statutes for most of these boards and commissions require political party balance in their membership.
During the 109th Congress, President George W. Bush submitted nominations to the Senate for 84 of these 151 positions. (Most of the remaining positions on these boards and commissions were not vacant during that time.) A total of 111 nominations were submitted, of which 79 were confirmed, 6 were withdrawn, and 26 were returned to the President. The number of nominations exceeded the number of positions for reasons discussed in this report (e.g., nominations to a single position for successive terms). President Bush made 12 recess appointments to regulatory and other boards and commissions: 10 when the Senate was adjourned during a session (intrasession recess appointments) and 2 between sessions (intersession recess appointments). At the end of the 109th Congress, 12 incumbents were serving past the expiration of their terms. In addition, there were 12 vacancies among the 151 positions.
This report specifies, for the 109th Congress, all nominations to full-time positions on 33 regulatory and other collegial boards and commissions. Profiles of each board and commission provide information on their organizational structures, membership as of end of the 109th Congress, and appointment activity during that Congress. The organizational section discusses the statutory requirements for the appointed positions, including the number of members on each board or commission, their terms of office, whether or not they may continue in their positions after their terms expire, whether or not political balance is required, and the method for selection of the chair. Membership and appointment activity are provided in tabular form. The report also includes tables summarizing the collective appointment activity for all 33 bodies, and identifying Senate recesses during the 109th Congress.
Information for this report was compiled from data from the Senate nominations database of the Legislative Information System at http://www.congress.gov/nomis/, telephone discussions with agency officials, agency websites, the United States Code, and the 2004 edition of United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (more commonly known as the "Plum Book").
This report will not be updated.