Senate hearings are scheduled this week for several of Trump’s picks for the Cabinet. Many nominees have met with senators individually. Now, they’ll go before the committees overseeing the agencies Trump wants them to run.
Here’s the latest:
Bondi has repeatedly defended Trump’s pick to become FBI director, Kash Patel, touting his law enforcement experience and calling him the “right person” to run the bureau at this time.
Lawmakers questioned Bondi about Patel’s list of officials he’s claimed are part of the so-called “deep state,” which critics have described as Patel’s “enemies” list.
When asked whether Bondi would “enforce” such a list, Bondi responded: “There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice.”
“I believe that the Justice Department must be independent and must act independently,” Bondi said. “The number one job is to enforce the law fairly and even handedly. And that’s what will be done if I am confirmed as the attorney general.”
Democrat have raised concerns about Bondi’s ability to lead a Justice Department that’s independent from the White House, given her longstanding political support of Trump.
That came when she was pressed about remarks she made on TV claiming “the prosecutors will be prosecuted — the bad ones.”
Her remarks have raised concerns among Democrats given Trump’s threats to use the agency to exact revenge on his perceived political opponents. Bondi is also echoing Trump’s claims that he was prosecuted by the Justice Department for political purposes.
“They targeted Donald Trump,” launching countless investigations against him, she said. “That will not be the case if I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”
CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Energy. His nomination went before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
During the hearing, he promised to implement President-elect Donald Trump’s “bold energy agenda to unleash energy security and prosperity.”
The centerpiece of Trump’s energy policy is “drill, baby, drill,” and he has pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats’ “green new scam” in favor of boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, which cause climate change when they are burned and greenhouse gases are released.
“President Trump shares my passion for energy,” Wright said. “And if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.”
Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper called Wright an “unrestrained enthusiast for fossils fuels in almost every regard,” but noted that he studied nuclear, worked on solar energy, and is a scientist who is open to discussion.
Wright promotes the idea that more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe.
Several committee members wished him a happy birthday. Wright appeared before the committee on his 60th birthday, surrounded by family and friends.
At the end of his opening statement, Rubio, who said it felt “surreal” to be on the other side of the Senate panel, asked for his colleagues’ support to become the next secretary of state, using a bit of humor.
“Thank you and I hope I can earn your support, whether it’s because you believe I would do a good job, or because you want to get rid of me,” the Florida Republican said.
“Either way, the results are the same,” Sen. James Risch, the GOP chair, joked back.
Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi says that if she is confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general she will advise him “on a case by case basis” regarding his pledge to pardon defendants prosecuted for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
Asked by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois if she believes that those defendants should be pardoned, Bondi said the pardons fall under the president. She did not say if she agreed with Trump’s pledge to pardon the rioters convicted of crimes related to the riot.
The rioters were Trump supporters trying to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. Many of them were convicted of harming police officers. “I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country,” Bondi said.
“I have always prioritized American civil liberties – something I will continue to do,” Ratcliffe told members of the Senate intelligence committee during a confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Ratcliffe said the U.S. faces a complicated series of threats posed by adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. He said technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet are giving them new opportunities and that U.S. spy agencies must innovate to meet the challenges.
“Today we face what may be the most challenging national security environment in our nation’s history,” Ratcliffe said.
At Rubio’s confirmation hearing before Foreign Relations Committee, protesters in Spanish and English interrupted his opening statement, arguing about issues regarding the Middle East and Latin America.
Rubio, who would be first Latino Secretary of State if confirmed, joked, “I get bilingual protests which is kind of cool.”
The question came from Sen. Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee
Bondi said she accepts “of course, that Joe Biden is the president of the United States.” She later added: “Do I accept the results? Of course I do.”
Bondi supported Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 race, traveling in the days after the election to Pennsylvania, where she claimed without providing evidence that there had been “cheating.”
Rubio promised Wednesday to implement President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” vision as secretary of state, vowing in his confirmation hearing that the incoming administration will forge a new path by placing American interests “above all else.”
“Placing our core national interests above all else is not isolationism,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It is the commonsense realization that a foreign policy centered on our national interest is not some outdated relic.”
Duffy reached for the personal in assuring senators he’d make road safety a priority as head of the transportation department, noting that his wife was in a car crash that could have killed her.
“This hits close to home because my wife survived a deadly head-on car crash, which profoundly shaped her life,” said Duffy in prepared remarks to senators whom he hopes will confirm his nomination as transportation secretary. “If confirmed, I will prioritize road safety, ensuring lives and families aren’t forever changed by preventable accidents.”
Ashcroft, a former Republican senator from Missouri, served as attorney general under President George W. Bush.
Ashcroft cited Ratcliffe’s work as a federal prosecutor in Texas and his work on national security issues as a Republican Congressman.
Ashcroft, who has worked with Ratcliffe as an attorney, said the CIA nominee is “tough but fair” and focused on upholding the Constitution.
“I’ve seen him speak the unvarnished truth to those he works with and those he works for,” Ashcroft said. “He understands that the intelligence community exists to secure the liberty and freedoms of Americans.”
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, opened confirmation hearing for transportation secretary, noting someone who’s likely to come up in questioning: Elon Musk.
“Now Elon Musk has launched his car in space,” said Cruz, referring to fast changing technology the transportation secretary will oversee. “A new era in transportation and infrastructure is here.”
Sean Duffy, a former Wisconsin congressman, reality TV star, and Fox News host, is hoping to take over the transportation department that will oversee highways, railroads, airspace and several Musk companies, including his Tesla electric car company.
John Ratcliffe, a former Republican congressman from Texas, served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term. He’s now Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, the nation’s premier spy agency. Ratcliffe’s nomination went before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a confirmation hearing Wednesday.
His experience is likely to boost his chances in the Senate. Trump’s pick to be the next director of national intelligence, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, faces a more challenging confirmation, as lawmakers from both parties have raised questions about 2017 visits to former Syrian President Bashar Assad, as well comments that support Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine.
In his opening statements, Sen. Jim Risch, the Republican chair of the Foreign Relations committee, outlined the various objectives the new GOP majority in Washington has abroad, including ending the nearly three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine.
“I am confident that if anyone can end this war, it’s President Trump. And Marco is the right man to help ensure it is done in a way that guarantees security and stability for Ukraine, the U.S., and our allies, and prevents Russia from launching another war,” the Idaho lawmaker said.
That includes her efforts to combat human trafficking and opioid abuse.
When she was the state’s top prosecutor, she framed pictures of victims of the opioid crisis that she was given by grieving parents, Bondi said.
“Fentanyl is raging through our country and I will do everything I can to fight that,” she said.
The 53-year-old’s nomination process is expected to be the most seamless of Trump’s Cabinet picks and could be one of the few to receive near unanimous support from both sides of the aisle.
And she said she’ll end what she described as “weaponization” of the department. Bondi’s remarks echo those of Trump and other Republicans, who claim the Justice Department has been used for political purposes under the Biden administration.
The Justice Department brought two criminal cases against Trump, but also prosecuted President Biden’s son, Hunter, on gun and tax charges.
Like Trump, Bondi said: “I believe we are on the ‘cusp of a New Golden age’ where the Department of Justice can and will do better if I am confirmed.”
Those priorities would also include protecting the nation from terrorists and “addressing the overwhelming crisis at the border,” she said.
“The Department of Justice must also return to defending the foundational rights of all Americans, including free speech, free exercise of religion, and the right to bear arms,” Bondi told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA prepares to take questions from lawmakers, the new chairman of the Senate intelligence committee says America’s spy agencies need to do a better job responding to growing threats of terrorism.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said the nation’s intelligence officials often work in difficult, dangerous environments with little public recognition. But he said recent events like the attack in New Orleans show they must do more to identify threats before they turn lethal.
“In these dangerous times, our intelligence agencies haven’t anticipated major events or detected impending attacks,” Cotton said. “I could give other examples but suffice it to say we’re too often in the dark…. The CIA has neglected its core mission.”
Cotton’s comments came at the start of a confirmation hearing for John Ratcliffe, Trump’s nominee for CIA director. Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term. He’s a former Republican member of Congress.
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he wants to know whether Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi will be able to tell President-elect Donald Trump “no.”
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin says it’s critical that any attorney general nominee be “committed first and foremost to the Constitution and the American people — not the president and his political agenda.”
Durbin noted that Trump has vowed to seek retribution against “the enemy within” and threatened to prosecute or jail some of his political opponents and that Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, has echoed those calls.
He listed a litany of complaints about the Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland, including the criminal cases brought against Trump and the FBI’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
The Justice Department abandoned the cases against Trump in November, citing the department’s policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Grassley urged a swift confirmation of Bondi, saying her prosecutorial experience “speaks volumes about her character and her dedication to the rule of law.”
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee highlighted Bondi’s work as Florida attorney general, going after so-called “pill mills” and other initiatives. She became Florida’s first female attorney general in 2011, serving until 2019.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, corporate lobbyist and longtime fixture in Trump’s orbit, is expected to face questions over her loyalty to Trump, given his threats to seek revenge on his perceived political enemies.
9:30 a.m.: Pam Bondi, Justice Department The former Florida attorney general makes the first of two scheduled appearances before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was Trump’s pick for attorney general hours after his first choice, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration. Gaetz was facing questions about a federal sex trafficking investigation and a House Ethics Committee inquiry into allegations that he paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl.
Bondi is a longtime fixture in Trump’s orbit. The attorney general will be one of the most closely watched Cabinet members, given the concern among Democrats that Trump will look to bend the Justice Department to his will.
10 a.m.: Sean Duffy, Transportation Department The former Wisconsin congressman who was also a co-host on Fox Business will be questioned by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The department oversees pipelines, railroads, cars, trucks, airlines and mass transit systems, as well as funding for highways.
10 a.m.: John Ratcliffe, CIA Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump’s first term, goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The former Texas congressman is in line to lead the nation’s premier spy agency, responsible for foreign covert operations and collecting data on U.S. adversaries.
10 a.m.: Marco Rubio, State Department The Florida senator has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering his nomination to be secretary of state. As head of the State Department, job, Rubio would oversee the U.S. foreign service, advise Trump on diplomatic appointments and conduct negotiations with foreign leaders on behalf of the administration.
10 a.m.: Chris Wright, Energy Department
The fossil fuel executive, who has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change, appears before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The secretary oversees energy generation and use in the United States as well as the nation’s nuclear weapon stockpile. Wright would also join Burgum on the National Energy Council.
1 p.m.: Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget Vought, OMB director during Trump’s first term, goes before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that the Republican nominee tried to distance himself from during the campaign. The budget director oversee the building of the president’s budget and review of proposed regulations.
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