Hearing Schedule for Trump Nominees
This week, a smattering of hearings will take place to confirm several of Donald Trump's Cabinet picks; so here's what to watch now and over this next week.
Republican Senators will attempt to confirm some of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees by holding hearings this week, hoping the public will be distracted in the week before the inauguration. If you haven’t already, please read my recent article on how you can get involved in effectively voicing your opposition, and helping to move the dial on some of Trump’s more concerning nominees.
The next four years will be a marathon, not a sprint, so the key to everything is making sure that the American public does not tune out from exhaustion or apathy. I will be keeping my eye on specific hearings that hold the best chance for Democrats, in terms of pressure, opposition, and possibly getting someone to withdraw their name from consideration. (We’ll call this kind of win a “Matt Gaetz.”)
Starting tomorrow morning, I will be covering each hearing live, on Bluesky, so you can help move the political content that is most effective on social media. If you can’t watch the hearings in real time, you can check my coverage to stay informed and to help get the word out to inspire other people to action. The key for Senate Republicans is to move through these hearings as quickly and quietly as possible so that they can move to a simple majority vote to confirm.
Democratic opposition will need moderate Republicans to hesitate when they are voting to confirm, and the way to make a sitting US Senator really consider their vote is a mass public movement to voice opposition to the nominees. Republicans in moderate states, who still need the votes of moderate people, will listen when members of their constituency speak out against one of these nominees, and that movement threatens the safety of the Senator’s seat back home.
Important note: Some of Trump's more controversial picks for top administration posts — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, Kash Patel for director of the FBI, and Rep. Elise Stefanik for Ambassador to the United Nations — have not been scheduled so far, or their hearing times are not being made public in an effort to keep the attention off of them so as to sneak up on any opposition. By covering these hearings thoughtfully and relentlessly, we won’t let that happen. (I will denote a critical hearing with a controversial figure by using this emoji: 👀 and I will emphasize a key Cabinet post with this emoji: 🗝️)
Tuesday Hearings, January 14
Former Representative Doug Collins, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, is set to appear before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 9 am/ET.
👀🗝️ Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for US Secretary of Defense, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 9:30 am/ET. (This hearing is likely to be the most contentious, and will set the pace for the others to come. Hegseth is also likely being used as a distraction to provide cover for Burgum, who will create a disaster within the EPA.)
🗝️ Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trump's pick for interior secretary, is slated to appear before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 10 am/ET.
Wednesday Hearings, January 15
👀 🗝️ South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, is slated to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 9 am/ET.
🗝️ Pam Bondi, Trump's choice for US Attorney General, will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee twice: first on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 9:30 am/ET, and again on Thursday at 10:15 am/ET.
Senator Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for Secretary of State, is set to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 10 am/ET.
🗝️ Former Representative John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick for CIA Director, is set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 am/ET.
Former Representative Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for Transportation Secretary, will appear before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 10 am/ET. (Other than his stint on the 90’s TV show The Real World, he is unremarkable in every single way.)
🗝️ Chris Wright, Trump's pick for US Energy Secretary is scheduled to appear before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 10 am/ET.
🗝️ Russell Vought, Trump's pick to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is set to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 1 pm/ET.
Thursday Hearings, January 16
🗝️ Former Representative Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, is set to appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 10 am/ET.
Scott Turner, Trump's pick for Housing and Urban Development Secretary, will appear before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 10 am/ET.
🗝️ Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for US Treasury Secretary, is set to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 10:30 am/ET.
Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.
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Thanks Amee , I have been watching Hesgath’s needed a break . I have never seen a grown man spoon fed in such a manner. Not one direct answer to a Democrat member and Praise Jesus and His glory 👀 and he just learned the word lethality
Because Dem leaders are not resisting, I’m preparing for my Katabasis into Hades before going to the gates of Tartarus where I will watch the souls of Trump and his Billionaire accomplices.