Three months and still no hearing.

That has been the fate so far of Carla Decker, President Obama'snominee to succeed Gigi Hyland on the NCUA Board.

A Senate Banking Committee spokesman did not respond to aninquiry on when or whether the panel will hold a hearing on Decker,the president/CEO of District Government Employees FCU.

Several industry sources said Decker, who Obama nominated on Oct. 20, might get ahearing if Obama nominates other people to financial regulatoryagencies.

Hyland, whose term expired last year, can serve until asuccessor is sworn in. Should she decide to leave the board beforethen, and she hasn't made any comments about her plans, the boardcan still function. It can make decisions as long as the tworemaining members, Chairman Debbie Matz and Board Member MichaelFryzel, vote the same way on an issue.

Matz has had experience with a two-member board. She andthen-chairman JoAnn Johnson were the only members of the board foran eight-month period in 2004 and 2005.

“Yes, the board can do business with two members, but it can betricky,” said former NCUA board member Geoff Bacino. “Although thechairman is in charge, the other member has a great deal of powerand can really thwart any action.”

Even if Decker gets a hearing, there is no guarantee that SenateRepublicans will allow a vote.

The confirmation process often moves at a snail's pace during the fourth year of a president's term.Senators of the other party slow down the movement of nominees inthe hopes that their party will win the control of the WhiteHouse.

Also, Senate Republicans have expressed anger that Obama used arecess appointment to name Richard Cordray to head the ConsumerFinancial Protection Bureau. Obama said he had to circumvent thoseRepublicans who vowed to block any nomination to the post. SenateRepublicans had said they want Obama and Senate Democrats to agreeto structural changes to the CFPB along the lines of those passedby the House last year.

So far, three nominees to financial regulatory agencies, whohave already been approved by the Senate Banking Committee, havenot been given votes by the full Senate because of GOP proceduralmoves.

Those nominees are Martin Gruenberg, whom Obama nominated tochair the FDIC; Thomas Hoenig, Obama's choice for FDIC vicechairman; and Thomas Curry, who was nominated to head the Office ofthe Comptroller of the Currency.

Members of the GOP leadership haven't said anything about theirstrategy on Obama's nominees.

However, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the SenateBanking Committee, said he doubts his party will uniformly opposeall persons appointed by Obama.

“I don't know. I don't think you're going to see carte blanchereprisal [against the Cordray appointment],” he said at a newsconference on Jan. 24.

Decker's nomination stalled after Credit Union Timesreported the contents of an NCUA examination that showed management problems at her credit union.