If Rex is nominated to be SOS, and Bolton for Deputy SOS, why does the Senate have to confirm the Deputy SOS? Isn’t that a #2 position? How many ranks require Senate confirmation? See the Plum Book.
According to the above, the following are confirmed:
- Secretary
- Chief of Protocol
- Deputy Secretary
- Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources
- Ambassador for HIV/AIDS affairs
- Ambassador for Women's Affairs
- Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs
- Legal Assistant
- Assistant Sec'y for Intelligence and Research
- Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy
- Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
- Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
- Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism
- Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
- Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom.
- Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
- Ambassador-At-Large for Combating and Monitoring Trafficking in Persons.
- Under Secretary for Political Affairs
- etc
There's a whole lot of appointees that must be confirmed, in other words.