Republican senators are growing concerned over the number of officials in the Trump administration serving in an acting capacity, according to The Washington Post.

Sen. James Lankford James Paul LankfordMcConnell works to lock down GOP votes for coronavirus bill Charities scramble to plug revenue holes during pandemic Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE (R-Okla.) told the Post that there are “way too many” people in acting posts in President Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE’s Cabinet agencies.

“You want to have confirmed individuals there because they have a lot more authority to be able to make decisions and implement policy when you have a confirmed person in that spot,” Lankford said.

Trump has at least five Cabinet officials who are currently "acting," due to their predecessors resigning or being pushed out.

These include officials serving as acting attorney general, Defense secretary, Interior secretary and Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

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Republicans have repeatedly blamed Senate Democrats for stalling Trump’s nominees, but the president has not yet named people to a number of key posts, including to permanently lead the Pentagon and Interior Department.

The Post and the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group, found that Trump has not nominated people for 150 Senate-confirmed posts out of 705.

Senators have raised particular concerns about the vacancy left at the top of the Defense Department following Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE’s abrupt resignation in December, according to the Post.

Sen. Joni Ernst Joni Kay ErnstGraham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Joe Biden looks to expand election battleground into Trump country Grassley, Ernst pledge to 'evaluate' Trump's Supreme Court nominee MORE (R-Iowa), who has pushed Trump to nominate Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to replace Mattis, told the Post that it is “very important” to have a permanent Defense secretary.

“We absolutely need to have a permanent nominee,” Ernst said. “I do have great confidence in [acting secretary] Patrick Shanahan Patrick Michael ShanahanHouse Armed Services chairman expresses confidence in Esper amid aircraft carrier coronavirus crisis Boeing pleads for bailout under weight of coronavirus, 737 fallout Esper's chief of staff to depart at end of January MORE, I know he is the acting secretary right now. But I do feel that in order to reassure allies and also to push back on our adversaries, it’s very important that we have a permanent secretary of defense.”

And Sen. Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiGraham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Gardner signals support for taking up Supreme Court nominee this year Tumultuous court battle upends fight for Senate MORE (R-Alaska) said that she is “worried” about vacancies in key posts related to the national parks.

“When you think about it, what was the big initiative at the end of last year? Let’s do something with park maintenance,” she told the paper. “Would sure be great to have the head of the parks in order to execute this initiative. Yup. It worries me.”

Trump has defended having a large number of acting officials, saying it gives him more “flexibility” to make personnel changes.

“I like acting because I can move so quickly,” he told CBS News in an interview on Sunday.

But legal experts interviewed by the Post raised concerns that any actions taken or policies enacted by acting officials may not be compliant with the Vacancies Act and could be easily challenged or overturned.