U.S. Senate committees are set for a busy Wednesday as six of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees face questioning. The hearings come one day after Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon Pete Hegseth went before the Armed Services Committee.
Here is who faces questioning on Wednesday:
- Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi
- Secretary of Energy nominee Chris Wright
- Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio
- Secretary of Transportation nominee Sean Duffy
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency nominee John Ratcliffe
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget nominee Russell Vought
Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump's pick to lead Homeland Security, had her hearing postponed to Friday as officials finish up their background check.
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Bondi was Florida's attorney general from 2011 to 2019. During her tenure, she brought or participated in lawsuits to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
Bondi was also a defense lawyer for Trump during his first impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate and has worked at the conservative nonprofit America First Policy Institute.
Bondi's nomination followed former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrawing from consideration for the position.
Her nomination will be closely watched as she will face questions over comments made by Trump on using the Department of Justice to prosecute former political rivals and lawmakers who investigated the January 6 insurrection.
She will also likely face questions involving immigration and how far the Department of Justice is willing to go to arrest migrants who do not have legal status in the U.S.
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Rubio will likely face questions on whether the U.S. will continue to back Ukraine, and how the Trump administration will deal with adversaries such as China, Russia and North Korea.
Although Rubio has been a vocal supporter of Trump in recent years, that wasn’t always the case. The two frequently sparred while competing for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
However, they seemed to mend fences once Trump secured the nomination and the presidency. Rubio was also on Trump’s shortlist for a running mate in 2024, though Trump ultimately chose Senator J.D. Vance.
Final confirmation votes require only a simple majority, so Republicans don't need Democrats if they remain united. But dissenters can use the hearings to delay the process and emphasize their concerns.
