A slate of President Trump’s Cupboard nominees have appeared earlier than senators in latest days for key hearings on their street to affirmation.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was the primary to be confirmed, securing the secretary of State place with a unanimous vote on inauguration day. Different Trump picks, although, face extra resistance.
A handful of nominees have already superior out of committees, teeing up flooring votes. However hearings are but to be scheduled for nonetheless extra of Trump’s selections, together with a number of the most contentious names within the combine.
Right here’s the most recent on key Trump picks to hitch his administration:
Confirmed
Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
The Senate unanimously confirmed former Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as America’s 72nd secretary of State.
The vote got here in on Trump’s inauguration day, cementing the primary member of the president’s Cupboard simply as he assumed workplace.
Rubio’s seat within the Senate will probably be crammed by Florida Lawyer Normal Ashley Moody.
In Progress
Protection Secretary: Pete Hegseth
Hegseth was the primary of Trump’s Cupboard picks to look earlier than a Senate committee within the week forward of his inauguration. The previous Fox Information host has been one of many president’s most controversial selections, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats over his {qualifications}, views on girls in fight and allegations of infidelity and extreme ingesting, which he denies.
The Senate Armed Providers Committee on Monday superior Hegseth on a party-line vote.
Homeland Safety secretary: Kristi Noem
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), Trump’s choose to guide the Division of Homeland Safety, went earlier than senators final week after an preliminary delay to her listening to.
Noem has been vocal about immigration and border points, although the Mount Rushmore State is way from the usMexico line. She was floated as a doable operating mate for Trump earlier than a controversial anecdote from her memoir appeared to uninteresting her probabilities.
The Senate Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday superior Noem by a largely bipartisan 13-2 vote and Senate Republicans hoped to substantiate her the week of Trump’s inauguration.
Workplace of Administration and Finances director: Russel Vought
Russell Vought is on monitor to be Trump’s subsequent director of the Workplace of Administration and Finances, reprising first-term function.
Democrats grilled Vought throughout his listening to final week on his ties to Challenge 2025, the conservative Heritage Basis’s blueprint for a second Trump time period.
The Senate Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-7 on Monday to advance the would-be price range chief. He additionally faces a listening to earlier than the Senate Finances Committee on Wednesday.
CIA Director: John Ratcliffe
John Ratcliffe, Trump’s former head of nationwide intelligence, is on deck to guide the Central Intelligence Company (CIA) in his second time period.
After a largely cordial listening to final week, the Senate Intelligence Committee pushed Ratcliffe a step nearer on Monday, advancing his nomination with a 14-3 vote.
Senate Republicans deliberate to carry a flooring vote on Ratcliffe on Tuesday, however Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) mentioned on the ground that Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) nixed a time settlement that might have sped up the affirmation.
Treasury secretary: Scott Bessent
Scott Bessent, the billionaire founder and CEO of hedge fund Key Sq. Group, is Trump’s nominee to guide the Treasury, overseeing U.S. monetary safety.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 16-11 on Tuesday to advance Bessent, teeing up a flooring vote. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) notably bucked occasion traces to hitch Republicans in backing the nomination.
Bessent can be the primary brazenly LGBTQ Cupboard member confirmed by the Senate beneath a Republican president.
Lawyer Normal: Pam Bondi
Pam Bondi, Florida’s former lawyer normal, is Trump’s second alternative to guide the Division of Justice after his preliminary choose, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew from consideration amid controversy.
Bondi was a senior adviser on the protection staff for Trump’s first impeachment and has backed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud within the 2020 election.
She appeared final week earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee, the place she was grilled by Democrats over Trump’s potential affect over a Bondi-led DOJ. A committee assembly to advance her nomination initially slated for Wednesday has been postponed.
Inside Secretary: Doug Burgum
Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) appeared final week earlier than the Senate Vitality and Pure Sources Committee after an preliminary paperwork delay.
Burgum, who ran in opposition to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, confronted Democratic questions concerning the new administration’s controversial local weather stances, although the listening to was largely cordial.
If confirmed to the publish, Burgum would even be accountable for Trump’s new “Council of National Energy.”
Transportation secretary: Sean Duffy
Former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy, who would oversee nationwide transportation programs and infrastructure as Transportation Secretary, appeared earlier than senators final week.
He informed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee that, if confirmed, he’d dig into points round Boeing and buck stress to intrude with Tesla – the corporate helmed by high Trump ally Elon Musk.
Housing and City Growth secretary: Scott Turner
An alum of Trump’s first administration, Scott Turner was beforehand government director of the White Home Alternative and Revitalization Council. For the president’s second time period, he’s been tapped to guide the Division of Housing and City Growth.
The previous NFL participant appeared final week earlier than the Senate Banking, Housing and City Affairs Committee.
Vitality secretary: Chris Wright
Chris Wright, the founder and CEO of Liberty Vitality, is Trump’s controversial choose to guide the Vitality Division amid Trump’s pledges to “drill, baby, drill” and roll again environmental laws.
If confirmed to the publish, Wright may even serve on a newly fashioned “Council of National Energy” led by Burgum.
Wright appeared earlier than the Senate’s Vitality and Pure Sources Committee final week.
EPA director: Lee Zeldin
Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) went earlier than the Senate Setting and Public Works Committee final week in his effort to guide the Environmental Safety Company.
In nominating Zeldin, the president promised that his choose will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards.”
United Nations ambassador: Elise Stefanik
Trump’s choose to symbolize the U.S. within the United Nations is Elise Stefanik, an outspoken Trump ally and defender of Israel who went earlier than senators within the International Relations Committee on Tuesday.
Senate Democrats appeared forward of the listening to to be warming up to the nominee regardless of considerations about how the brand new administration views the worldwide group, after Trump moved on Day One to withdraw the U.S. from the World Well being Group and the Paris Local weather settlement.
Veterans Affairs secretary: Doug Collins
Former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) is Trump’s alternative to guide the Division of Veterans Affairs, overseeing the physique tasked with offering well being care and different advantages to former members of the navy.
A vocal Trump ally and defender, Collins served as counsel for Trump after the 2020 presidential election, as Trump questioned Georgia’s election outcomes. He appeared earlier than the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on Tuesday.
Agriculture secretary: Brooke Rollins
Brooke Rollins, a former White Home aide in Trump’s first administration, is ready to look Thursday earlier than the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Vitamin and Forestry.
Nominated/nothing scheduled but
Director of Nationwide Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) is Trump’s controversial choose to guide the U.S. intelligence neighborhood, and her course of via the Senate has confronted delays as Democrats say they don’t have the complete slate of background checks and different paperwork wanted to maneuver ahead.
The previous Democrat’s path to affirmation may very well be in hassle over her previous help for Edward Snowden, a gathering with now-deposed Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad and different controversial feedback about Ukraine and Russia.
Well being and Human Providers secretary: RFK Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran an impartial bid for president in 2024 earlier than endorsing Trump, is on faucet to helm the Well being and Human Providers Division.
However the vaccine skeptic has confronted pushback from public well being specialists as senators able to evaluate the nomination.
Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.) informed the USA Right now community that the paperwork to get the hearings underway might come collectively as quickly as Tuesday, whereas Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) informed Bloomberg Authorities that scheduling earlier than the top of the month is unlikely.
Commerce Secretary: Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick, chair and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, is Trump’s choose for Commerce Secretary. Lutnick’s listening to has additionally reportedly been held up my paperwork delays.
Training Secretary: Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon led the Small Enterprise Administration throughout Trump’s first time period, and she or he’s his choose for Training secretary in his second tenure. She’s chair of the board at America First Coverage Institute, a pro-Trump suppose tank, and served on his transition staff. Politico reported earlier this month that McMahon’s listening to was ready on paperwork delays.
Labor Secretary: Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), who flipped her Oregon district within the midterms however misplaced reelection in November, is Trump’s choose to guide the Labor Division. Her nomination was taken by some as a sign that Trump’s second administration might have a extra receptive stance to unions.
Commerce Rep: Jamieson Greer
Jamieson Greer, an aide within the commerce workplace throughout Trump’s first time period, has been nominated as U.S. commerce consultant. The president has mentioned Greer “played a key role” with tariffs and different strikes in his first time period.
SBA: Kelly Loeffler
Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) would function administrator of Trump’s second-term Small Enterprise Administration. She was beforehand rumored to be Trump’s choose for secretary of Agriculture earlier than the function went to Rollins.
