Washington The Republican-controlled Senate is hoping to get started right away on Monday and start approving newly appointed President Donald Trump’s nominees on his first day in office.
In order to schedule floor votes on one or more of Trump’s presidential candidates, Republican leaders will be seeking unanimous consent from senators. Each nominee will need 51 votes to be confirmed if they are given expedited review.
“Advice and consent are vital components of our job. We will therefore take that duty seriously. On the “TODAY” show Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., stated, “We will take that job seriously, as do our senators, both Democrats and Republicans. “But we also understand that we have a job to do, and I think it was spelled out very clearly by the voters in November.”
Five nominees are expected to be voted on by the committees that conducted their confirmation hearings when the chamber convenes at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time: The Foreign Relations Committee nominated Marco Rubio as secretary of state; the Intelligence Committee nominated John Ratcliffe as CIA director; the Armed Services Committee nominated Pete Hegseth as defense secretary; and the Homeland Security and Governmental Committee nominated Russell Vought as White House budget director and Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary.
The whole chamber will hear the nominees who receive a majority vote in committee. After that, all senators must agree to permit a floor vote on any of them on Monday. Rubio and Ratcliffe are among the few contenders who might be able to achieve that standard. However, there is no certainty.
It seems unlikely that Trump’s more contentious choices, like Hegseth, will reach a consensus to hold a floor vote. Even if he is authorized in committee, it might take him a few more days to confirm.
Under a new administration, it is customary for the Senate to give votes on national security nominations top priority.
On the day of inauguration, at least one Cabinet nominee has been confirmed for each new president since Bill Clinton.
The appointment of Avril Haines as director of national intelligence by then-President Joe Biden was ratified on January 20, 2021. Additionally, John Kelly was confirmed as the head of the Department of Homeland Security on January 20, 2017, one of Trump’s candidates.
At 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, the Senate will begin its work by voting on the Laken Riley Act, a bill that will tough down on illegal migrant theft offenses.
In order to approve nominees who have sufficient support to make it to the floor, the Senate may continue to meet for hours after that.
Thune concluded by predicting that all of Trump’s selections will be verified.
He answered, “I believe they all have a way to get there.” Since they receive the difficult questions when they leave the committee, I always wait to make a decision until after they have completed their confirmation hearings. And that process should proceed, in my opinion, and I promise that it will be fair.