White House says it received no Democratic nominees for SEC, CFTC vacancies
White House officials said they had not received Democratic nominee names for vacancies at the SEC and CFTC, despite previously asking Senate Democrats to recommend candidates. The response came after 12 Senate Democrats raised concerns about understaffing at federal agencies, especially the financial regulators, while crypto market structure legislation remains pending. The SEC currently has two empty Democratic seats and three Republican commissioners, with one Republican expected to leave later this year. The CFTC is even more constrained, with a Republican chair serving as the sole commissioner. Democrats said the White House had largely avoided the normal bipartisan process for filling independent agency vacancies. The staffing issue has become more urgent as the Senate weighs the CLARITY Act, which still needs Democratic support. CFTC leadership has suggested the agency could write digital asset rules on its own if Congress fails to act.
