Republicans are set to hold confirmation hearings this week for several important figures selected by President-elect Donald Trump for his upcoming administration. These hearings will focus on over a dozen key nominees, including Pete Hegseth, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Gov. Kristi Noem.
Pete Hegseth, chosen by Trump to be Secretary of Defense, will face his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. He will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 9:30 a.m., where he will answer questions from both Democrats and Republicans.
Senator Marco Rubio, appointed to be Secretary of State, and Governor Kristi Noem, selected for Secretary of Homeland Security, will have their hearings on Wednesday. Noem will appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at 9 a.m., while Rubio will face the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations at 10 a.m.
Other nominees being considered on Tuesday include Doug Collins, who Trump picked to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, chosen for Secretary of the Interior. These hearings will also take place on Tuesday.
Other key nominations include Pam Bondi for Attorney General, John Ratcliffe for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Russell Vought for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation, and Chris Wright for Secretary of Energy. These hearings will occur on Wednesday.
Thursday’s hearings will include nominees for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Eric Turner, and Scott Bessent for the Treasury Department.
The series of hearings is part of Republicans’ efforts to quickly confirm as many of Trump’s nominees as possible. They aim to approve high-ranking positions without delays, hoping to get several key roles confirmed by the time Trump is inaugurated on January 20.
Senator Rand Paul, a key Republican voice, expressed optimism that the Senate will swiftly confirm the most critical members of Trump’s Cabinet, including the Secretary of State, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense. Paul believes that the Senate can work quickly, with some support from Democrats, to confirm these nominations by the inauguration day or the following week.
This urgency comes after a recent terror attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, which left 14 people dead and 35 others injured. Republicans are particularly focused on confirming Trump’s national security team to ensure they are prepared to address such threats.
