Remember the movie "Anchorman"? I can't help but feel a little bit like Steve Carell's character, Brick - "I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!”

 I mean, right? Like everything has become a little unhinged - I know I'm mad, but in a world of "alternative facts" there's so much going on I feel like the news, social media, and direct conversations have become a little more "LOUD NOISES" than we'd all like... 

 When I'm feeling overwhelmed, in all of my type-A glory, I find that to-lists, calendars, and outlines have a tendency to slow my pulse rate down just a tad. So, all that being said, I thought a quick outline of the appointment process might make digesting the news a little bit easier - maybe revisiting civics class would give us all a chance to like, harness our chi.

 THE WHO: The President of the United States (POTUS, if you're tryna hang) 

 THE WHAT: Appointing a team of advisors, high-level Cabinet members, and independent agencies (side: Departments and agencies are different).

THE WHEN: Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States of America *opens pocket Constitution now* gives every new President the power to assemble a team "by and with the ADVICE AND CONSENT of the Senate" - that is to say that the process moved forward pending approval of the Senate. 

 THE WHY: Each President had different priorities relative to their platform and agenda; these priorities will determine which Departments are maintained, "demoted" to agencies, or which agencies may be "promoted" to Departments. These advisors support POTUS as the subject matter experts for the programs under them. 

 THE HOW: When POTUS wants to make a Cabinet Appointment (or any other Executive appointment):

 1. S/he must submit, in writing, the candidate to the Senate.  

 2. The nomination is then reviewed by the committee that has authority over the position or agency the candidate is being considered for... for example the Secretary of Defense is reviewed by the Armed Forces Committee, the Secretary of Education nominee is heard by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. 

 3. Committee Hearings are conducted; the overseeing Committee has the right to essentially interview the candidate on the record to establish his or her qualifications, experience, etc.

4.  After Hearings, the candidate's nomination is added to the Senate's Executive Calendar, and floor discussions take place(I.e. members of the Senate talk about the nominee.) 

 5. The Senate then votes on each nominee. The Nominee need only be approved by a simple majority vote. 

Soooo ... now that we have a nice list, let's apply:  When it comes to Secretary of Education Nominee, Betsy DeVos, we're posted up at step 5... last night two Republican Senators stated publically that they will not support the nomination, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both stated that constituent calls influenced their decision to reject the nomination; their "no" votes may prevent DeVos from getting the majority she needs.

In conclusion: look up the Committees that have jurisdiction over Hearings, tell them what you want to know about a nominee. Call your Senators and tell them what you think about Nominees... remember, even when you feel like things may be a little too LOUD, remember your voice matters.