Reply #12: as reflected in the chart linked in my post above, hearings can be held by the new congress [View All]

[onenote]

before the inauguration, but the confirmation vote never occurs until after the inauguration. And the hearings are held by the new congress -- ie., the congress that will vote on the nomination -- not a lame duck congress.

On edit: I'm not offering an opinion as to whether it would be "legal" for a confirmation hearings to be held by the lame duck congress. However, nominations that are not acted on by a congress prior to its adjournment "die" with the adjournment and would have to be resubmitted and presumably go through at least a semblance of the process by the new congress before full Senate consideration