Washington — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for top posts in his administration are gearing up for the Senate’s confirmation process, which kicks off this week with more than a dozen confirmation hearings in the days ahead.
Republican senators are working to get the president-elect’s team in place as quickly as possible, with Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and GOP majorities in the House and Senate that are eager to get to work on his policy agenda.
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, and nominations require a simple majority, meaning most of Trump’s picks should be comfortably confirmed shortly after he takes office next week. Others could face an uphill battle if only a handful of GOP senators oppose their nominations.
Here’s the hearing schedule for the week, in order of appearance:
Doug Collins
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Former Rep. 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 a.m.
The 58-year-old Georgia Republican served in Congress from 2013 to 2021 and defended Trump during his first impeachment hearing as the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. Collins, a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve and Iraq War veteran, launched an unsuccessful bid to represent Georgia in the Senate in 2020.
Pete Hegseth
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Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, is set to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 9:30 a.m., in what could be the most contentious hearing on the schedule.
The 44-year-old former Fox News host and Army combat veteran has faced intense scrutiny over sexual assault allegations that he has denied, along with controversial comments he’s made about women in combat roles. He is also expected to face questions about his qualifications to lead the largest workforce in the country at the Defense Department.
Kristi Noem
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South Dakota Gov. 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 a.m.
The 53-year-old was elected governor in 2018 after representing the state for eight years in the House. Noem had been considered a contender for Trump’s running mate early in the campaign.
Pam Bondi
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Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, is slated to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee twice: first on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 9:30 a.m., and again on Thursday at 10:15 a.m.
Bondi, 59, served as Florida’s attorney general before going on to work at the right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute. Bondi was tapped for the role after Trump’s first pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew following intense criticism.
Marco Rubio
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Sen. 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 a.m.
The 53-year-old has represented Florida in the Senate since 2011 and faced off with Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. In 2024, Rubio was on the shortlist to be Trump’s running mate. The Florida Republican, a China hawk with extensive foreign policy experience, is expected to have among the smoothest paths to confirmation in the upper chamber.
John Ratcliffe
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Trump’s pick for CIA director, former Rep. John Ratcliffe, is set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m.
Ratciliffe, 59, represented Texas in the House from 2015 to 2020 and served as director of national intelligence in Trump’s first term.
Sean Duffy
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Former Rep. Sean Duffy, Trump’s pick for transportation secretary, will appear before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m.
The 53-year-old represented Wisconsin’s in the House from 2011 to 2019. After leaving Congress, he joined Fox News as a contributor and now co-hosts a show on Fox Business.
Chris Wright
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Trump’s pick for energy secretary, Chris Wright, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m.
The 59-year-old Liberty Energy CEO has been a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, and has expressed disapproval toward climate-focused, clean-energy policies.
Russell Vought
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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 p.m.
Vought, 48, served in the role during the latter part of the first Trump administration. He was involved in writing the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and worked as policy director for the 2024 Republican National Committee’s platform committee.
Doug Burgum
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Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for interior secretary, is slated to appear before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. He was originally scheduled to testify on Tuesday, but the hearing was pushed back.
Burgum, a successful businessman who founded a software and venture capital company before entering public office, ran against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, self-funding the bulk of his campaign. The 68-year-old was on the shortlist to be Trump’s running mate, before being tapped to lead the Department of the Interior, which oversees federal lands and natural resources.
Lee Zeldin
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Former Rep. 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 a.m.
Zeldin, 44, represented New York in the House from 2015 to 2023. He ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2022.
Scott Turner
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Trump’s pick for Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Scott Turner, is slated to appear before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m.
The 52-year-old former NFL player worked in Trump’s first administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
Scott Bessent
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Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, is set to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 10:30 a.m.
Bessent, 62, is the founder of Connecticut-based hedge fund Key Square Group. Bessent would be the first Senate-confirmed openly gay Cabinet member of a Republican administration.
Other Trump picks
Trump’s picks for other 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 — are expected to appear before Senate committees later on, though their hearings have yet to be scheduled or announced publicly.
