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At the 200-day mark, Trump is still behind on nominations

President Trump has been in office for 200 days, and is far behind on nominees, including key positions that would give businesses clarity on patient policies.

President Donald Trump walks off the stage after his campaign rally at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena on August 3 in Huntington, West Virginia. 
President Donald Trump walks off the stage after his campaign rally at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena on August 3 in Huntington, West Virginia. 
Justin Merriman/Getty Images

During his first 200 days in office, President Donald Trump has sent 279 nominations to the Senate for confirmation. That compares to more than 400 nominations for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush at the same point in their administrations. President Trump still hasn’t nominated anyone for some key economic positions.

“We still do not have a deputy secretary at the Department of Commerce,” said Kristine Simmons, with the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group focuses on government efficiency. “There’s also no head at the Office of Patent and Trademark.” 

As a result, businesses are unclear on President Trump’s patent policies. Career government workers have to wait for a political appointee to be confirmed before key decisions are made, said Simmons. Career government workers “really don’t have clarity as to what their decision-making authorities may be,” she added.

Simmons said they may be waiting for a while. So far, Senate confirmation delays are longer for President Trump than they were for President Obama.

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At the 200-day mark, Trump is still behind on nominations