Trump Cabinet Hearings: Huge Battle Looms In Senate This Week

WASHINGTON, DC — President-elect Donald Trump is still 11 days from being sworn into office, and yet the Republican-run Senate is already moving ahead with confirmation hearings of his Cabinet appointees this week. And that is sure to spark a huge battle with Democrats, who say that appointees are being rushed through without time to vet them.

The Senate is attempting to ram through a staggering nine nominees through committees this week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow Democrats are demanding more time between hearings so senators can review financial and ethics materials and put the nominees under sufficient questioning.

The Office of Government Ethics, which is in charge of certifying paperwork submitted by Cabinet nominees, said there is "cause for alarm" if the Senate proceeds with confirmation hearings before some of those nominees' paperwork is complete, according to a Roll Call report. Without the paperwork, Democrats can't properly question the nominees, party leadership argues.

As a result, Senate Democrats appear likely to try to hold up Trump's Cabinet picks for a fight on the Senate floor, giving more time for background checks to be completed, Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, told CNN.

The first Cabinet appointee to go through a confirmation hearing will be Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, Jan. 10, who is Trump's nominee for attorney general. Also considered later that day is Gen. John F. Kelly, USMC (Ret.), who is the nominee for the secretary of Homeland Security. James Mattis (Department of Defense) and Ben Carson (Department of Housing and Urban Development) will also have hearings later this week.

In other news from the Trump transition, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, will reportedly be named a senior adviser to the president. An announcement could come Tuesday, according to the New York Times, but the title might be adjusted.

Image via Flickr user Senate Democrats