The Senate will begin confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s top nominees on Tuesday. Ten of his 15 Cabinet nominees will testify over three consecutive days.
Although the initial hearing schedule is fast-paced, delays in receiving FBI background check reports, nominee financial disclosures and other required ethics paperwork threaten to slow the Senate confirmation process.
Republicans hope to confirm some of Mr. Trump’s national security nominees on Inauguration Day, but the vetting process has thrown that goal into question.
“We’ve got to make sure the paperwork is here, that the Office of Government Ethics gets the reports in because you can’t hold the hearings until you get paperwork,” said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, Wyoming Republican.
He expects the required documents to arrive before the hearings.
Cabinet confirmation hearings scheduled this week are for the attorney general nominee and potential secretaries of defense, energy, homeland security, housing and urban development, interior, state, transportation, Treasury and veterans affairs.
Mr. Trump’s picks for Central Intelligence Agency director, Environmental Protection Agency administrator and White House Office of Management and Budget director are also slated to testify before Inauguration Day.
Confirmation hearings for the secretaries of agriculture, commerce, education, health and human services, and labor have not been scheduled. At least some of those nominees appear caught up in the paperwork delays.
Some Republican-led committees scheduled hearings before receiving the required background information, drawing condemnation from Democrats.
“Americans have to ask, ‘What are Republicans trying to hide when they don’t want their nominees to have background checks and don’t want to have full information about them?’” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said in floor remarks.
He specifically called out Republicans on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for scheduling confirmation hearings for Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright and Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum without the minority party’s consent. He also suggested that some Republican committee chairs are “resisting” the customary vetting process.
Sen. Mike Lee, Utah Republican and the new Energy Committee chair, said he expects to have the required information from the Office of Government Ethics before his panel’s scheduled hearings.
Although he does not think it will be necessary, he said he will reschedule “if we get to the point where everybody, despite their best efforts, can’t get it done.”
Democrats are also frustrated that they have not received information about Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, the most closely scrutinized nominee to testify this week. His confirmation hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, told reporters that the Trump transition team is “stonewalling and withholding information.”
Although background checks are required for all nominees, lawmakers are especially eager to view the FBI report on Mr. Hegseth. Mr. Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon has been accused of sexual assault, excessive alcohol abuse at work-related functions and financial mismanagement of two veterans organizations he ran. He has denied the allegations.
“If it’s concealed in advance of the hearing, there’s no way for us to question him about it and essentially get responses from him on issues that it raises, so we may be compelled, in good conscience, to vote against him if we don’t have enough information,” Mr. Blumenthal said.
Responding to a question from The Washington Times, the Trump transition team said there haven’t been any delays.
“Paperwork is being submitted quickly to ensure the confirmation process is smooth and President Trump is able to implement his agenda mandated by the American people on Day One,” transition spokesperson Taylor Rogers said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said in floor remarks Thursday that he wants to “keep up a steady pace of progress” in processing Mr. Trump’s nominees.
He noted that the Senate confirmed 12 of President Obama’s Cabinet secretaries within 15 days of his taking office in 2009.
“It took the Trump and Biden administrations roughly three times longer to get the same number confirmed,” he said.
Mr. Thune said his goal is to return to the Obama standard, which will require Democratic cooperation to pass the nominees quickly.
“But we’ll be ready to proceed whether or not Democrats choose to cooperate,” he said.
Democrats say their cooperation depends on whether they receive the required background information.
“The issue is advise and consent,” said Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat. “The United States Senate is not supposed to be a doormat.”
The Times asked Mr. Thune whether the background paperwork delays hamper his goal of moving nominations as quickly as possible.
“We need the paperwork, obviously, for our committee chairs and the committees to do their work,” he said. “So we’re doing everything we can on our end to expedite that. But it’s important that everything be ready because we’ve got a ton of hearings scheduled.”
Asked whether any nominees would be ready to be confirmed on Inauguration Day, Mr. Thune said, “That would be nice. We’ll see.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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