Senate confirmation hearings

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FBI Pick Patel Breaks With Trump on J6 Pardons

'I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement'

(Newser) - Kash Patel, nominee to be the next FBI director, is known for his fierce loyalty to President Trump. But early in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Patel split with Trump on a high-profile issue—the sweeping pardons issued to all those in the Capitol riot,...

Nicole Shanahan Plays Hardball as RFK Jr. Is Grilled

Shanahan threatens to fund primary challenges against senators who don't vote to confirm him

(Newser) - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee for the first of two days of confirmation hearings Wednesday, and there was discord even before he had finished his opening statement. After Kennedy, President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, said, "News...

Ahead of Friday Vote, Hegseth's Odds Look Strong

Senate expected to confirm him as the next defense secretary

(Newser) - Barring a last-minute surprise, it looks like Pete Hegseth will be the next defense secretary after all. The Senate is on track to vote on his confirmation Friday evening, and the former Fox host appears to have the support he needs, reports the New York Times .
  • Republicans were able to
...

Noem Says She'd Carry Out Trump's Vision, Deportations

Homeland Security pick takes senators' questions on illegal immigration, FEMA, Secret Service

(Newser) - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, President-elect Trump's pick for a job central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration—including mass deportations—faced senators Friday at a confirmation hearing, promising to be a tough hand in carrying out the president's policies at the sprawling Department of...

Bondi Hedges on 2020 Vote, Investigating Jack Smith

Democrats press attorney general pick in confirmation hearing

(Newser) - President-elect Trump's choice for attorney general sought to reassure Democratic senators Wednesday that her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political purposes, but she would not rule out investigations of his adversaries. Pam Bondi's often-testy confirmation hearing centered on concerns that Trump would seek to use the...

It's a Busy Day for the Senate
It's a Busy Day for the Senate
the rundown
Jan 15, 2025 8:10 AM CST

It's a Busy Day for the Senate

Pam Bondi, Marco Rubio among a half-dozen Cabinet picks slated to appear

(Newser) - Wednesday is set to be a busy day in the Senate, with six confirmation hearings scheduled for President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks. The headline appearances will be Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi for US attorney general. The Washington Post reports the...

5 Takeaways From the Hegseth Hearing

Joni Ernst, considered a key Republican vote, says he has her support

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for defense secretary, was grilled by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday about issues including his views on women in combat. Some takeaways from the often testy confirmation hearing:
  • He probably has enough votes. "None of his answers seemed to disturb
...

'I Do Not Believe That You Are Qualified'

Pete Hegseth, defense nominee grilled at Senate hearing, cites a 'smear campaign' against him

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth was getting grilled on Capitol Hill Tuesday in his confirmation hearing to be the next defense secretary. At the same time, the former Fox host defended himself against what he calls a "smear campaign" by the media. Some early highlights:
  • Critic: "I do not believe that
...

Johnson: Releasing Ethics Report on Gaetz a 'Terrible' Idea

Speaker hedges on revealing what's in House panel's findings on Trump's nominee for AG

(Newser) - It didn't look likely on Thursday that the House Ethics Committee would release its report on the investigation into now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz, accused of drug use, bribery, and sexual misconduct with a minor. Nothing Friday has changed that narrative in the eyes of House Speaker Mike Johnson, per...

McCarthy: 'Everybody Knows' Gaetz Won't Be Confirmed

Former House speaker calls it a 'good deflection' by Donald Trump

(Newser) - President-elect Trump stunned DC on Wednesday with his pick of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general. But former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy predicted Thursday that his bitter political rival would never actually become AG. "Gaetz won't get confirmed, everybody knows that," McCarthy tells Bloomberg . McCarthy called the...

Fed Chief: We'll Get More Aggressive on Inflation

Jerome Powell tells Congress they'll raise interest rates more if need be

(Newser) - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged Tuesday that high inflation has emerged as a serious threat to the Fed's goal of helping put more Americans back to work and that the Fed will raise rates more than it now plans if needed to stem surging prices. "If we...

Republicans Cast Financial Nominee as Radical

Democrats defend Saule Omarova, Biden's choice for banking regulator

(Newser) - President Biden's choice to become one of the top banking regulators endured a contentious nomination hearing Thursday, with Republican senators warning she would nationalize the US banking system and Democrats saying she's eminently qualified and would be a tough overseer of Wall Street. Saule Omarova, 55, was nominated...

FBI Reveals Kavanaugh Check Drew 4.5K Tips

Christine Blasey Ford's lawyers say the background investigation was 'a sham'

(Newser) - The FBI has revived criticism of its handling of the 2018 background check on Brett Kavanaugh by conceding it received more than 4,500 tips on him. Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings for a seat on the US Supreme Court included testimony by Christine Blasey Ford, a professor who accused the...

Barrett's Day 2 Theme: 'I Have No Agenda'
Barrett
Sidesteps
Questions
on Big Issues
the rundown
Oct 13, 2020 10:55 AM CDT

Barrett Sidesteps Questions on Big Issues

'I have no agenda,' says Supreme Court nominee

(Newser) - The actual questioning of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has begun on Capitol Hill. However, Barrett is following the tradition of nominees not answering questions about how they might rule on key issues—in this case, ObamaCare and abortion, notes Politico . "If I give off-the-cuff answers, then I...

One Issue Expected to Dominate at Barrett Hearings
One Issue
Expected 
to Dominate
at Barrett Hearings
the rundown
Oct 12, 2020 6:47 AM CDT

One Issue Expected to Dominate at Barrett Hearings

Democrats worried about health care and the fate of the Affordable Care Act

(Newser) - The confirmation hearings Democrats have tried to stall and Republicans have arranged with lightning speed begin Monday on Capitol Hill. The Senate Judiciary Committee opens its hearings into Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, with much of the focus from Democrats expected to be on health care. Coverage:
  • The process:
...

Trump's AG Nominee: It's Vital Mueller Finishes His Report

William Barr will tell senators that he won't interfere with Mueller investigation

(Newser) - His prospective boss may not be a fan of the Robert Mueller investigation, but Attorney General nominee William Barr promises that he won't interfere with it. In remarks released Monday ahead of his confirmation hearing before a Senate panel on Tuesday, Barr says it's "vitally important" that...

Kavanaugh Insists: It Didn't Happen
Kavanaugh:
My Accuser
Is Wrong
Sep 17, 2018 10:35 AM CDT

Kavanaugh: My Accuser Is Wrong

Kellyanne Conway says the woman should not be ignored or insulted

(Newser) - Brett Kavanaugh doubled down Monday on his denial of a sexual misconduct allegation going back to his high school days. "This is a completely false allegation," Kavanaugh said in a statement cited by CNN . "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or...

Collins on Effort to Sway Vote on Kavanaugh: It's Bribery

Watchdog group wants DOJ to investigate groups crowdfunding to pressure Maine senator

(Newser) - More than $1.2 million has been raised to help convince Sen. Susan Collins she shouldn't cast her vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but the Maine pol isn't exactly motivated by the cash influx. Mainers for Accountable Leadership, the Maine People's Alliance, and a group...

Cory Booker Raises Drama of Kavanaugh Hearings

Democratic senator says he's willing to risk expulsion by releasing email

(Newser) - Day three of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing has opened with a bang: Democratic Sen. Cory Booker says he has ordered his staff to release a Kavanaugh email even though it's supposed to remain under wraps. It's not clear yet what the email says, but NBC News reports...

Senate Panel Votes to Endorse Haspel as CIA Director

Full Senate will now vote on Haspel's confirmation

(Newser) - Gina Haspel won the endorsement of the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday, with the panel voting 10-5 to advance her nomination as CIA director to the full Senate. Haspel, who would be the first woman to lead the Central Intelligence Agency and the second person to lead the agency after being...

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