The US Senate….
That IS the place Donald Trump’s senior staff MUST go BEFORE….
While the nominee’s had to attract Trump’s attention to be the pick….
THAT ain’t the way things work sitting in front of US Senator’s of BOTH parties….
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 more than a dozen planned and more possible ahead of Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Republican senators who attended a private planning session with Mr. Trump at the Capitol 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…
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Democrats had generally withheld their fire on many of Mr. Trump’s candidates and the confirmation process for a time, preferring to allow Republicans to quarrel among themselves about the qualifications and backgrounds of some of the president-elect’s choices. But as the hearings have grown closer, they have become more outspoken and critical of how Republicans are handling the process.
At the same time, influential allies of Mr. Trump, including Elon Musk, have stepped up a pressure campaign directed at Republicans. They are trying to get lawmakers to quickly confirm his chosen candidates without acquiescing to Democratic demands to slow their consideration over demands for paperwork or findings by the F.B.I., an agency that many conservatives do not trust….
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Senator Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois and a combat veteran serving on the panel, said she and others were entitled to information about Mr. Hegseth’s finances, given his history.
“Is he somebody that is blackmailable?” Ms. Duckworth asked. “I don’t know. But I should be able to know if I’m going to have to vote for him for secretary of defense.”…
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“Republicans choosing to rush nominees is quickly becoming a pattern,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, said on the Senate floor on Thursday. “It’s hard not to wonder what are the Republicans trying to hide about these nominees from the American people.”…
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Republicans said they expected spirited opposition from Democrats on some of the nominees, though several are expected to move through without much trouble.
“I expect them to vigorously question and probably oppose the president’s nominees,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas. “That’s certainly their prerogative.”
But Mr. Cornyn said he shared a desire for the required vetting material, saying, “I think it is important to have a confirmation process with the appropriate background checks so there are no surprises.”…
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