(The Center Square) – With one week until Inauguration Day, committees in the Republican-led Senate are scheduled to hold confirmation hearings on 13 of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees during the next few days.
Some nominees will face more intense scrutiny than others.
Former Rep. Doug Collins, nominated for Veterans Affairs secretary, will be the first candidate heard on Tuesday morning. An Air Force colonel and military chaplain, Collins voted in favor of major veterans bills during his time in Congress, including one that increased the availability of care outside of the VA healthcare system for qualifying veterans.
Trump’s nominee for Defense secretary Pete Hegseth, whose hearing follows Collins’, will face a more hostile reception. The veteran and former Fox News host has faced allegations of abusing alcohol, mismanaging nonprofit funds, and sexual assault, which he denies.
Real estate investor and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, nominated to be Secretary of the Interior, is also facing Democratic opposition due to his ties to the oil industry. As governor, he cut certain state taxes that oil companies must pay to use public minerals.
Wednesday will kick off with the hearing of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump’s nominee for Homeland Security secretary. Noem has no reported conflicts of interest but has taken heat for her lack of experience in any kind of homeland security position, including during her time in Congress.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi will likely face scrutiny over her work as a corporate lobbyist and her role as one of Trump’s defense lawyers during his first impeachment trial before the Senate confirms her as the attorney general of the U.S.
Businessman Chris Wright, nominated for Energy secretary, has plenty of experience in the energy industry, founding fracking company Liberty Energy as well as oil and gas company Liberty Resources and Liberty Midstream Solutions. Democrats are worried that he will undo green and alternative energy initiatives supported by the Biden administration while Trump said his administration with “drill, baby, drill.”
The proposed Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, served as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during the first Trump administration. During that time, he declassified Russian intelligence documents that alleged Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign intentionally tried to create scandal around Trump by tying him to Russia.
Critics have also expressed concerns that Transportation secretary nominee, former Rep. Sean Duffy, is unqualified for the job, as his only experience in the transportation industry consisted of lobbying for major airlines in early 2020. But the Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is unlikely to reject him.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., nominated to be Secretary of State, will likely face no vehement opposition.
The last nominee scheduled for Wednesday, Russell Vought, has been nominated for a position he previously served in during the previous Trump administration, the Office of Management and Budget director.
Bondi will face another hearing on Thursday, but not before Housing and Urban Development secretary nominee Rep. Eric Turner is scrutinized. The former NFL player and Texas state representative has no relevant housing experience to speak of, save community volunteer work.
Lee Zeldin, nominee for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, founded a corporate consulting firm. Potentially relevant clients of the company are unknown.
The last confirmation hearing on Thursday will consider whether to approve billionaire hedge fund executive and former chief investment officer of Soros Fund Management Scott Bessent as U.S. Treasury secretary.
Once the candidates are greenlit by the respective Senate committees that oversee their departments, they must then receive at least 50 votes from the full Senate to secure confirmation.
Republicans are hoping to have cabinet members in place as soon as possible so they can immediately begin implementing Trump objectives, especially border security legislation the president-elect promised would happen “on Day 1.”
