The 119th Congress is across the nook and affirmation battles that includes President-elect Trump’s slate of nominees are set to take heart stage.
Since Trump’s fast rollout of selections, two nominees — former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for lawyer common and Chad Chronister to guide the Drug Enforcement Company — have already withdrawn themselves.
However a lot of his remaining picks are controversial, and Republicans are hoping to keep away from additional errors because the nominees barnstorm Capitol Hill and transfer nearer to their affirmation hearings and doubtlessly hitting the Senate ground.
Listed below are the highest 5 affirmation battles to observe.
Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of Nationwide Intelligence, meets with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)
Tulsi Gabbard is staring down maybe the hardest affirmation battle of anybody put ahead by the president-elect.
Gabbard, a former four-term Democratic lawmaker from Hawaii, has confronted skepticism from segments of the Senate GOP convention for quite a few causes. Chief amongst them had been her previous remarks about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that appeared to echo speaking factors from Moscow, a 2017 assembly with now-exiled Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad and her prolonged tenure as a Democrat.
Including to the problems is that she didn’t impress a number of Senate Republicans throughout conferences on Capitol Hill in December, with at the least a handful of them ready to vote no on the ground — if her nomination will get that far.
“She’s the most at risk of not being confirmed,” one Senate GOP aide advised The Hill.
“There are things that will never change with her,” the aide continued, pointing particularly to the Syria and Russia points. “She has policy views that are totally contrary to where the majority of the conference is.”
Trump allies have maintained she’s going to emerge from her affirmation hearings in stable form to win a inexperienced mild from the higher chamber.
“I haven’t heard any of that,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) stated a few report indicating that as many as eight Senate GOP members are able to vote towards her. “There’s not one single ‘no’ that is on any of these [nominations] that have said ‘no’ from the Republican Party.”
“There’s a lot saying they want to talk to her, but that’s part of advice and consent,” Mullin added.
Pete Hegseth
President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth is seen at a photograph op previous to his assembly with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) within the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
It was just a few weeks in the past that Pete Hegseth’s nomination to guide the Pentagon appeared achieved and dusted, with Trump making ready fallback choices.
Whereas his fortunes seem to have shifted, the hardest step might be but to return in Hegseth’s query to be Protection secretary. His affirmation hearings are across the nook, and the identical points that gave him hassle in December are sure to resurface in a really public setting.
The previous Fox Information host confronted questions surrounding a 2017 allegation of sexual assault, his dealing with of veterans organizations that he led and his personal consuming — in addition to whether or not his background certified him to run the large operation that’s the Protection Division. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing.
However, backed by help from Trump allies and, ultimately, Trump himself, Hegseth has appeared to win over key Senate Republicans. He held a number of conferences with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), an Armed Companies Committee member and the Senate’s first feminine fight veteran, who has since warmed to him.
“The middle of last week, it felt like there was growing momentum against him. I think that has changed markedly,” Sen. Ted Cruz. (R-Texas) stated on Dec. 11. “The momentum has shifted considerably in Pete’s direction. I think Pete’s going to get confirmed.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Well being and Human Companies Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for a gathering on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
Gabbard and Hegseth — together with Gaetz’s short-lived choice — had taken up a lot of the oxygen in December.
However that might change as affirmation hearings for different controversial nominees kick off in brief order, with Kennedy atop that checklist.
The ex-independent presidential candidate, tapped to run the Division of Well being and Human Companies, has lengthy been a polarizing determine as a consequence of his views on vaccines.
He stays in stable form heading into the brand new yr as there was little criticism of him from Republicans, who management his destiny. However landmines stay.
Kennedy has stated little to reporters coming out and in of conferences with senators, however made some extent to inform them forward of his first assembly on Dec. 15 that he’s totally supportive of the polio vaccine.
That got here solely days after a report emerged that Aaron Siri, a Kennedy ally, petitioned the federal government to rethink its inexperienced mild of the polio vaccine in 2022.
In between the report coming to mild and Kennedy’s feedback, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who battled polio as a baby, issued a missive urging all of Trump’s nominees to “steer clear” of skeptical chatter concerning the polio vaccine.
“The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease. Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous,” McConnell stated in an announcement. “Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts.”
Kash Patel
President-elect Trump’s nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel is seen throughout a photograph op previous to his assembly with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) within the Hart Senate Workplace Constructing in Washington, D.C., on Monday, December 9, 2024.
Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist tapped to guide the FBI, has made his sharp opposition to the bureau identified.
He has created a listing of who he dubs “government gangsters” — headlined by outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray and Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland — who he says “must be held accountable and exposed in 2024.”
He has additionally declared that he desires to shutter the J. Edgar Hoover Constructing in Washington and “reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state.”
It’s potential that few — if any — Trump nominees have attracted extra vocal opposition from Democrats.
Nevertheless, none of this has dissuaded Senate Republicans as they speak up Patel’s background working for the Home Intelligence Committee and as a federal prosecutor. Patel has additionally achieved himself favors by impressing members throughout conferences on the hill in current weeks.
“He’s done well in his meetings,” the Senate GOP aide stated. “Very well prepared, emphasizing that he’s looking to end bad practices — not replicate them. He’s charismatic and knows his stuff.”
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) arrives to the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for the primary votes of the week on Monday, September 9, 2024. Each chambers of Congress return for 3 weeks with a Sept. 30 deadline to move a seamless decision to fund the federal government.
Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) occupies a really unique spot on this checklist as it’s fairly potential that she loses extra Republican votes than many of the aforementioned nominees — but might find yourself with bipartisan help as a number of Democrats have signaled they’re open to backing her affirmation.
Chavez-DeRemer misplaced her bid for reelection in a toss-up seat, however was tapped shortly after to turn out to be Trump’s nominee to run the Division of Labor.
Nevertheless, her choice initially got here below fireplace over her help of the Defending the Proper to Set up (PRO) Act, a precedence of Democrats and high labor teams. In truth, she was certainly one of solely three Home Republicans to co-sponsor the invoice, boosting Democratic optimism within the course of.
“And as an original author of the PRO Act, I’m glad to see Representative Chavez-DeRemer is a cosponsor of the bill I wrote with Representative Scott,” Sen. Patty Murray (R-Wash.) stated when DeRemer was chosen.
However for now, Republicans are holding their fireplace and are giving Trump deference for the choice. Mullin was the primary Senate Republican to fulfill together with her and likened her feedback to him concerning the PRO Act to these of Kennedy about abortion (he’s pro-choice).
“That she’s serving at the will of the president of the United States, and that she’ll be pushing forth his agenda,” Mullin stated. “She’ll be confirmed, too.”
