Executive Branch Nominations — Selection Methodology and Protocol Reform

 Campaign Briefing: Decoupling Partisan Politics from Governance

2028 Presidential Campaign of Martin A. Ginsburg, RN

November 6, 2025

I. Introduction: Executive Appointments and Public Confidence

The power to nominate and appoint Executive Branch officials is a constitutional mandate—not a patronage opportunity. In this campaign, every nomination will serve one purpose: the restoration of trust, competence, and depoliticized professionalism in American governance.

This briefing presents the structural foundation for Executive Branch appointments, including the selection methodology by department, the public transparency protocols, and the process reforms that ensure ethical, nonpartisan appointments from the outset of the administration.

Presenting this information well in advance permits its examination and review by the People to explain the “how” and “why” of these appointments with the understanding that every executive office and officer has a direct impact on the lives of all of us, nationwide.

II. Constitutional Framework and Structural Overview

Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution:

“[The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint... Officers of the United States.”

This power currently applies to:

• Cabinet Secretaries

• Deputy and Under Secretaries

• Administrators of federal agencies

• Ambassadors and special envoys

• Independent commissions

• Sub-Cabinet senior advisors, inspectors general, and senior agency staff

All roles requiring Senate confirmation will follow a standardized, apolitical selection and vetting process, informed by ethical review, internal performance track records, and service-based qualifications—not party loyalty or donor history.

This candidate prefers to eliminate the policy input of Sub-Cabinet senior advisors, inspectors general, and senior agency staff and have these positions replaced by operational personnel to improve function and limit political influence, stagnation, and resistance following changes in administrations. Until Congress permits merit selection only, and chooses stewardship over influence, what follows is how this candidate will execute the appointment authority granted the President. Government’s ultimate function is to serve the People, not the politicians.

III. Executive Branch Nomination Methodology

The document Keeping Politics Out of Government Operations identifies agency-by-agency methodologies for personnel selection. These include rigorous sourcing pipelines from federal career services, academic leadership, military institutions, and prior agency experience.

A. Vice President

• Already identified: An individual respected internationally, possessing broad diplomatic recognition and readiness to assume the Office of the Presidency at any moment.

• Named during the campaign and publicly presented as a partner in policy execution, interbranch coordination, and foreign affairs.

B. Department-Specific Methodologies

(Select examples below; full chart available in campaign policy briefing set.)

Department / Office	Selection Method
Defense (DoD)	From recommendations provided by the last three full Joint Chiefs of Staff; chosen with JCS consultation
Attorney General (DoJ)	Narrowed from division chief input: Civil Rights, Criminal, Civil, National Security, and Office of Professional Responsibility
Transportation (DoT)	Recruited from NTSB leadership and senior investigative staff with technical and safety operations expertise
EPA Administrator	Selected from tenured U.S. professors and department chairs in chemistry, biology, and environmental science
Agriculture (USDA)	Either a highly ethical former agency employee or selected based on that individual’s own internal recommendations
Education	Nominations built from recent departmental performance officers and advisors on international affairs and equity
Energy	Based on deep civil service consultation from technical and science divisions across DOE sub-agencies
Veterans Affairs	Nominated from within the veteran services ecosystem with long-term exposure to direct service delivery and policy management
Commerce / Interior / State	Drawn from structured consultations with prior appointees and career service specialists with high ethical marks

IV. Transparency and Reform Protocols

Each nominee will be subject to the following process reforms:

A. Open-Sourced Qualifications

• No political pledges, campaign affiliation, or party endorsement considered

• All criteria for selection are published online per office, with clearly stated qualifications and a summary of prior service

B. Nomination Justification

• Each submission to the Senate includes a presidential memorandum of explanation, detailing:

  • Qualifications

  • Selection methodology

  • Statements of independence and role clarity

C. Senate Interface Standards

• Nominees will be prohibited from closed-door meetings with any Senators unless national defense information is the sole subject of discussion

• Such meetings require:

  • Notification of classification

  • Legal counsel present to ensure boundaries are respected

  • Public log of attendees, purpose, and content category

D. Executive Pool Reporting

• Nominee interactions with the Executive shall be conducted on-record during business hours, in the presence of a rotating pool reporter

• No off-the-record activity is permitted, with the exception of classified briefings

• Activities conducted in the residential quarters of the White House are prohibited from containing official business without reporter presence

V. Acting Appointment Limits and Recess Appointment Constraints

To reduce “acting” vacancies and avoid political stall tactics:

• Acting appointments limited to 180 days from vacancy

• Recess appointments must:

  • Be justified by emergent circumstances

  • Be logged in the Federal Register with full transparency

VI. Senate Confirmation Process Reform Proposals

To support timely confirmations, the following policies will be recommended for Senate adoption:

• 60-day clock on all initial confirmation hearings from nomination date

• Public explanation for any delay past that window

• Refined scope of Senate questioning to align with legal and professional qualifications

• Senate may approve secondary or tertiary choices from submitted shortlists, reducing confirmation bottlenecks

VII. Efficiency and Continuity Through Parallel Vetting Models

In line with the document’s structural commitment:

• The criteria used to vet high-integrity appointees for DOJ, Interior, Energy, and others will serve as templates for FBI, CIA, DNI, DCI, NSA, and similar security institutions

• Cross-agency review boards will validate interdepartmental performance histories and prevent conflicting appointments

“The next administration will not be staffed by friends of the campaign. It will be staffed by servants of the country. Not by political insiders—but by constitutional professionals. Not behind closed doors—but in full view of the public. That’s what this presidency promises. And that’s what it will deliver.”

"This administration will streamline the nomination process, end indefinite acting appointments, and ensure that every nominee is vetted for competence—not just politics."

Department / Office	Nomination Methodology
Vice President	Selected in advance and announced during the campaign; candidate must demonstrate international credibility and constitutional readiness to serve immediately.
Department of Defense (DoD)	Chosen from recommendations submitted by the last three full Joint Chiefs of Staff and vetted with JCS consultation.
Department of Justice (DoJ)	Narrowed from internal division leadership: Civil Rights, Criminal, Civil, National Security, and Office of Professional Responsibility.
Department of Transportation (DoT)	Drawn from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) senior investigators with direct operational experience.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	Selected from tenured academic experts and department chairs in relevant sciences (chemistry, biology, ecology).
Department of Agriculture (USDA)	Appointed from internal USDA career leadership or individuals previously recommended by the department itself.
Department of Education	Selected from federal education professionals with national experience in equity, special education, or school infrastructure.
Department of Energy	Chosen through DOE career professional panels in engineering, nuclear safety, environmental technology, or applied science.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)	Selected from senior VA professionals with firsthand administrative and field experience in veterans’ services.
Department of Commerce	Candidates identified via Departmental Inspector General rankings and staff recommendations for continuity of commercial integrity.
Department of the Interior	Drawn from state-level land management directors or DOI regional administrators with multi-state portfolio experience.
Department of State	Selected with multi-cycle foreign service track records, multilingual aptitude, and ambassadorial or deputy chief of mission credentials.
Department of Labor	Nominated from within DOL enforcement divisions or federal labor arbitration offices with prior nonpartisan appointments.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)	Identified from major state health departments and former CMS administrators with national implementation success.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)	Drawn from state housing commissions or fair housing enforcement bodies with substantial compliance experience.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)	Selected with direct interagency emergency or counterterrorism coordination credentials; includes FEMA or Coast Guard leadership.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)	Sourced from GAO-vetted budget analysts or current federal CFOs with multi-agency portfolio management history.
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative	Chosen from trade mission diplomats and WTO/USTR staff with international negotiation or enforcement track record.
Small Business Administration (SBA)	Selected from among federal business development officers or past SBA regional directors with success metrics in lending equity.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)	Appointed from senior engineers or administrators at NASA centers with unmanned or manned mission oversight.
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)	Drawn from DEA, DOJ, or ONDCP coordination units with multi-jurisdictional impact and community program integrity.
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)	Chosen from leading university R&D administrators or federally funded research facility directors.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)	Appointed from career USAID mission directors with experience managing budgeted humanitarian and development operations.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)	Selected from CIA Deputy Directors with internal consensus and prior Inspector General clearance.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)	Chosen from regional FEMA directors with proven major disaster response experience.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)	Selected via interagency agreement and prior ODNI task force leadership, subject to cross-branch consensus.
National Security Council (NSC)	Composed of individuals rotated from military, intelligence, and foreign policy backgrounds; chosen with interagency vetting.
Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)	Appointed from published economists with proven policy modeling accuracy, with bipartisan think tank affiliations.
General Services Administration (GSA)	Selected from senior GSA career professionals or regional administrators with procurement reform records.