WASHINGTON: Let the sweepstakes begin.

The US Senate on Monday published the so-called Plum Book, the official list of some 9,000 federal appointments to be made by President-elect Donald Trump.

The list ranges from the very highest presidential appointments – cabinet secretaries and the like – to such mid-level senior postings as under secretaries, heads of government agencies and a number of diplomatic and military posts. The book lists the grade level and salary for each position.

In Paris, for example, the new president will have at his disposal the positions of US ambassador to France and Monaco, US representatives to UNESCO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as the head of the European office of the National Science Foundation (annual salary: $135,783).

Unlike career bureaucrats, who enjoy job security, the political appointees serve at the pleasure of the president and must pack their bags when a new administration comes in.

Trump must recruit thousands of people to fill those posts as he takes over the reins of government upon his inauguration on January 20.

The president-elect’s transition team website, greatagain.gov, includes a link to a page for submitting applications. At least 65,000 people have applied, The Washington Post reported. However, it estimates Trump may not fill more than 4,100 of the posts by January.

For one thing, the hiring process takes time. The Senate must first vote to confirm each nomination. Each candidate’s resume and background must be reviewed, particularly those applying for jobs with access to state secrets.

Applicants must each provide some 2,800 pieces of information in response to 295 individual questions, according to the White House Transition Project.

Trump could also leave some posts vacant in a bid to shrink the federal government’s size. Others are already filled by career officials or those with set terms of office, such as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

-AFP