<P> The Appointments Clause is part of Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, which empowers the President of the United States to nominate, and with the advice and consent (confirmation) of the United States Senate, appoint public officials . Although the Senate must confirm certain "principal" officers (including ambassadors, Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and United States Attorneys), Congress may by law delegate the Senate's advice and consent role when it comes to "inferior" officers (to the President alone, or the courts of law, or the heads of departments). </P> <P>... and (the President) shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments . </P> <P> The Appointments Clause confers plenary power to the President to nominate various officials . It also confers plenary power to the Senate to reject or confirm a nominee, through its advice and consent provision . As with other separation of powers provisions in the Constitution, the wording here both ensures accountability and preempts tyranny . This separation of powers between the President and Senate is also present in the (immediately preceding) Treaty Clause of the Constitution, which gives international treaty - making power to the President, but attaches to it the proviso of the Senate's advice and consent . </P> <P> Several framers of the U.S. Constitution explained that the required role of the Senate is to advise the President after the nomination has been made by the President . Roger Sherman believed that advice before nomination could still be helpful . Likewise, President George Washington took the position that pre-nomination advice was allowable but not mandatory . The notion that pre-nomination advice is optional has developed into the unification of the "advice" portion of the power with the "consent" portion, although several Presidents have consulted informally with Senators over nominations and treaties . </P>

Someone nominated by the president to be a federal court judge .