Even With Changes McConnell May Struggle to Fill Trump Team

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell‘s plan to more quickly fill administration jobs is unlikely to clear a confirmation logjam aggravated by longtime vacancies and the turnover of high-level political appointees.

With a backlog of nominations to process and a large number of vacancies, “it will still take a long time to fully staff the administration,” said Lauren Bell, professor of political science at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia.

Of 715 positions requiring Senate confirmation, almost one-fifth, or 140 slots, still have no nominee more than two years into President Donald Trump’s term, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Many ...