What vote of the senate is needed for approval of presidential appointments?

Answer 1

Article II, Section 2, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the United States of America provides, inter alia, that the President "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the supreme [sic] Court ..." The phrase "Advice and Consent" or "Advise and Consent" simply means to approve or to reject. In other words, if 51 of the 100 Senators vote in favor of a Judicial nominee, then that nominee has been approved.

Senate confirmation requires a simple majority of 51% of those voting (not to be confused with 51 votes, because members sometimes abstain or are absent). If there is a tie vote, the vice-president of the US who presides over the Senate, can vote and break the tie. However, if an opposing group tries to block the vote with a filibuster, under present rules of procedure, a three-fifths super-majority is required to end the filibuster and allow the vote. However, this rule can be revoked by a majority vote of the Senate.

Answer 2

The US Supreme Court requires a simple majority to decide a case. If all nine justices hear the case, at least five must agree on a decision.

More Information

For various reasons, not all the members participate in every decision; if 2 of them recuse themselves, then 4 of the remaining 7 is enough to "win".

Answer 3

A simple majority (51 if all) is all that is required for confirmation of an appointment. However, current senate rules require 60 votes to shut down debate, so 41 senators can block a confirmation.

Answer 4

Yes, the Senate requires a simple majority (51%) vote of those present to approve a US Supreme Court nomination.

Answer 5

the judical court system