With Hearings Imminent, Partisan Fight Escalates Over Trump Cabinet

The New York Times ^ | Jan. 10, 2025, 5:03 a.m. ET | Carl Hulse and Karoun Demirjian

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A quiet but bitter partisan clash is underway on Capitol Hill over President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choices for key cabinet posts, as Republicans face immense pressure to fast-track confirmations and Democrats charge that they are cutting corners on vetting for critical administration jobs.

The feud is coming to a head as senators are planning a crowded schedule of confirmation hearings next week, with at least nine planned and more possible ahead of Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Republican senators who attended a private planning session with Mr. Trump on Wednesday evening said that he urged them to stay united behind his picks after some Republicans have expressed their own reservations about certain candidates. Some have also sided with Democrats in insisting that senators must be allowed to review F.B.I. background checks and other pertinent material on the nominees before passing judgment.

Those at the Republican meeting said Mr. Trump made a special appeal for Pete Hegseth, his choice for defense secretary, who is scheduled to appear before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. They said he singled out Mr. Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and military veteran, by name in a sign of the importance he is placing on the confirmation.

But Democrats on the committee have begun raising objections about a potential lack of access to background materials such as an F.B.I. report on Mr. Hegseth, who settled a civil case with a woman who accused him of sexual assault, and has faced allegations of sexual harassment, drinking on the job and financial mismanagement. Democrats say the F.B.I. report on Mr. Hegseth might be shared only with the top Republican and Democrat on the panel, a break with normal procedures in which committee members are generally allowed access to such reports.

Some have also demanded to see financial and other records for...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Speaking of ethics, Trump should propose that members of Congress and their families be prohibited from engaging in stock market transactions.

[Gene Eric]

preferably the entirety of the cabinet picks make it with the slimmest of majorities

[calljack]

Vetting. lol. Look at some of Bidens I picks. What a joke.

[ABStrauss]

Theo ones that don’t support Trump’s picks will be primaried and aptly vilified.

[odawg]

Bipartisan???

Only Republicans would be wimpy enough to stand for that.

Only 51 votes are needed to confirm a Cabinet officer and the Republicans have more than enough.

[ryderann]

“Theo ones that don’t support Trump’s picks will be primaried and aptly vilified.”

Betcha Musk has made that clear to them.

[38special]

Collins, McConnell and Murkowski render that number void

[Responsibility2nd]

Here we have The Slimes trying to pretend the upcoming Trump administration is in complete shambles.

Figures.

Look. Course corrections can be messy. Not even Trump himself has had a consistent message so also his policy advisers are making tough calls for now.

But the end result will be a total and complete successful 180 from the FUBAR that is the Biden Regime.

[McGavin999]

The chairman of each committee needs to make clear in the opening statement that the safety of the American people is at stake.

[odawg]

Musk has already warned that he will help primary those who vote against the will of the people. And coming from the world’s richest man, that means something to those senators, although they will refuse to admit it.

And it could impress some democrat senators whose state went for Trump.

[ClearCase_guy]

[A Navy Vet]

In case the NYT, LAT, Washington Post, Boston Globe, MSNBC, CNN, and All the legacy media are losing subscribers and some looking at bankruptcy haven't noticed, you are all history.

You did your best for first Biden and then Harris, and President Trump walked away with the Presidency.

It has become obvious that Journalism Degrees are at the bottom of the intellect factor and easiest to get. Maybe they tie with PH.d in Education. What say you Doc Jill?

Is it me or does it appear that many of legacy media need 2 or 3 or 4 or even 5 writers for their obviously biased articles? I always look at who are writing these simplistic, biased, gas-lighting articles. It's like reading a bunch of middle-school kids designated to write something for a Language course. Even then, their editors get the spelling, punctuation, phrasing wrong and just throw it out there.

[AAABEST]

FBI checks on all congress then... and release the congressional hush-money data.

[MNJohnnie]

Nope because in that case JD Vance is the deciding vote

[bigbob]

And there’s still that congressional hush-money slush fund that needs to be made public.

[ridesthemiles]

YOU mean the slush fund $$$ for scandal playoffs???

[CptnObvious]

The Democrats and the Democrats in the Media have learned NOTHING.

Trump knows how to handle them and it won't go well for them.

[Soul of the South]

“Musk has already warned that he will help primary those who vote against the will of the people”

In 2010 Senator Lisa Murkowski (age 67) was primaried, lost the GOP primary, then ran a write-in campaign to win reelection over Joe Miller, the GOP candidate. She does not fear Musk funding a primary opponent.

Senator Susan Collins (age 72) has stated she will run for reelection to the Senate in 2026. She was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and was one of 7 GOP senators who voted in the 2021 Senate trial of Donald Trump to convict. She has always behaved as an independent. Republicans have tolerated her because in liberal Maine no MAGA conservative can win. It is unlikely Collins loses sleep over Musk’s primary threats.

If Democrats consistently vote as a block, Murkowski and Collins together control how much of Trump’s agenda, and how many of his appointments, will be approved by the Senate.

[paudio]

Then pressures should be put on those Democrats in red states that will have election in 2026. A pair of Georgia senators comes to mind.

[odawg]

“She does not fear Musk funding a primary opponent.”

Well, do you think she is nonchalant and welcomes an opponent, just because she avoided it once before? Did Alaska go big for Trump last November? Should she be concerned?

Senator Cassidy is being primaried here in Louisiana because he was stupid enough to vote for Trump’s impeachment and made some snarky comments that Trump would never be president again. We have closed Republican primaries now and the idiot doesn’t stand a chance.

And you can bet he will vote for all of Trump’s nominees. He was sure to be seen sitting next to Vance during the electoral vote confirmation, like it would do some good. If Trump were to forgive him and endorse him, I will still vote against him.