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Cabinet Nominations Rejected, Withdrawn, or No Action Taken


Unless noted, this list includes only nominations officially received by the Senate.
*=Nomination was never officially received by the Senate.
NomineePresidentPositionDate NominatedDate Rejected or WithdrawnVote
Roger B. TaneyAndrew JacksonTreasury1834_0623Jun 23, 1834Rejected: Jun 24, 183418–28
Caleb Cushing1John TylerTreasury1843_0302Mar 2, 1843Rejected: Mar 3, 184319–27
David HenshawJohn TylerNavy1843_1206Dec 6, 1843Rejected: Jan 15, 18448–34
James M. PorterJohn TylerWar1843_1206Dec 6, 1843Rejected: Jan 30, 18443–38
James S. GreenJohn TylerTreasury1844_0614Jun 14, 1844Rejected: Jun 15, 1844not recorded
Henry StanberyAndrew JohnsonJustice1868_0527May 27, 1868Rejected: Jun 2, 186811–29
Charles B. Warren2Calvin CoolidgeJustice1925_0110Jan 10, 1925; renominated Mar 5, 1925Rejected: Mar 10, 192539–41
Lewis L. StraussDwight EisenhowerCommerce1959_0117Jan 17, 1959Rejected: Jun 18, 195946–49
John G. TowerGeorge BushDefense1989_0120Jan 20, 1989Rejected: Mar 9, 198947–53
Lucius StocktonJohn AdamsWar1801_0114Jan 14, 1801Withdrawn: Jan 29, 1801
Henry Dearborn3James MadisonWar1815_0301Mar 1, 1815Withdrawn: Mar 2, 1815
David Tod4Abraham LincolnTreasury1864_0630Jun 30, 1864Withdrawn: Jul 1, 1864
Edwin D. Morgan5Abraham LincolnTreasury1865_0213Feb 13, 1865Withdrawn: Feb 13, 1865
Benjamin Bristow6Ulysses S. GrantJustice1873_1201Dec 1, 1873Withdrawn: Jan 8, 1874
Zoe E. BairdWilliam J. ClintonAttorney General1993_0120Jan 20, 1993Withdrawn: Jan 26, 1993
Hershel W. GoberWilliam J. ClintonVeterans Affairs1997_0731Jul 31, 1997Withdrawn: Oct 27, 1997
Thomas Ewing Sr.Andrew JohnsonWar1868_0222Feb 22, 1868Not reported from the committee.
Robert C. WoodLyndon JohnsonHousing and Urban Development1969_0109Jan 9, 1969Not reported from the committee.
Anthony LakeWilliam J. ClintonDirector, CIA1997_0109Jan 9, 1997Withdrawn: Apr 18, 1997
Linda ChavezGeorge W. BushLabor2001_0102Jan 2, 2001Withdrawn: Jan 9, 2001
Bernard KerikGeorge W. BushHomeland Security2004_1203Dec 3, 2004Withdrawn: Dec 10, 2004
Bill Richardson*Barack ObamaCommerce2008_1203Announced: Dec 3, 2008Withdrawn: Jan 4, 2009
Tom DaschleBarack ObamaHealth & Human Services2008_1211Dec 11, 2008Withdrawn: Feb 9, 2009
Judd Gregg*Barack ObamaCommerce2009_0202Announced: Feb 2, 2009Withdrawn: Feb 12, 2009
Andrew PuzderDonald TrumpLabor2017_0120Jan 20, 2017Withdrawn: Feb 28, 2017
Ronny JacksonDonald TrumpVeterans Affairs2018_0416Apr 16, 2018Withdrawn: Jun 20, 2018
Chad Wolf7Donald TrumpHomeland Security2020_0910Sep 10, 2020Withdrawn: Jan 6, 2021

Footnotes:

1. President Tyler responded to the rejection by renominating Cushing twice on the same day, March 3, 1843. Both times, the Senate rejected the nomination, first by a vote of 10-27, and later by a vote of 2-29.

2. After the Senate rejected Warren, Coolidge renominated him on March 12, 1925. The Senate again rejected the nomination on March 16, 1925, by a vote of 39-46.

3. In Dearborn's case, the Senate voted to reject, but then allowed the nomination to be withdrawn.

4. David Tod declined the appointment.

5. Edwin Morgan declined the appointment.

6. Benjamin Bristow declined the appointment.

7. Returned to the President Jan 3, 2021. Renominated Jan 3, 2021. Withdrawn Jan 6, 2021.