Having Cabinet positions filled by Senate-confirmed appointees benefits new administrations – and more importantly, the country – by enabling presidents to hit the ground running, especially during times of crisis. An examination of the last four incoming presidents shows that each announced most of their desired Cabinet secretaries during their transition, and the Senate generally moved quickly to confirm those nominations. On average, 95% of these secretary nominees receive confirmation hearings before the inauguration. For Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the confirmations of their secretary picks occurred almost immediately following the moment they took the oath of office on Jan. 20.