After the initial flood of personnel announcements for President-elect Donald Trump’s fresh administration, the nomination process is now officially beginning.
Senate hearings on several of Trump’s Cabinet nominees are scheduled next week. Many met individually with senators. Now they will appear before the committees that oversee the agencies Trump wants them to lead.
Here’s a look at the Senate hearings schedule set so far for Eastern Time:
Tuesday
9 a.m.: Doug Collins, Department of Veterans Affairs
The former Georgia congressman is the first to appear before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Collins is a Baptist minister, former U.S. Navy chaplain and Air Force Reserve colonel. The VA provides health care to former members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
9:30 a.m.: Pete Hegseth, Department of Defense
The former “Fox & Friends” weekend host and Army National Guard combat veteran is appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee after weeks of meetings in which some senators questioned his suitability for the role amid allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. The Pentagon chief’s authority over the US military is secondary to that of the president.
10 a.m.: Doug Burgum, Department of the Interior
The former North Dakota governor and businessman appears before members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who will consider his nomination to be secretary of the Interior, the top manager of the U.S. public lands. Burgum, who supported Trump after ending his own presidential bid in 2024 and campaigned for Trump, was also nominated to lead the National Energy Council. Trump said the council would seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world.
Wednesday
9 a.m.: Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security
South Dakota’s governor will appear before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The rancher and former congresswoman is on track to lead one of the largest government agencies, a key part of Trump’s promise to secure the border and mount a massive deportation operation.
9:30 a.m.: Pam Bondi, Department of Justice
The former Florida attorney general is making the first of two scheduled appearances before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was Trump’s pick for attorney general, just hours after his first nominee, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration. Gaetz faced questions about a federal sex trafficking investigation and a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that he paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl.
Bondi has long been a fixture in Trump’s circle. The attorney general will be one of the most closely watched Cabinet members as Democrats fear Trump will try to bend the Justice Department to his will.
10 a.m.: Sean Duffy, Transportation Department
The former Wisconsin congressman, who was also a co-host on Fox Business, is being questioned by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The department oversees pipelines, railroads, automobiles, trucks, airlines and mass transit systems, as well as highway funding.
10 a.m.: John Ratcliffe, CIA
Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence in the final months of Trump’s first term, is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The former Texas congressman is expected to lead the country’s top spy agency, which is responsible for covert operations abroad and gathering data on U.S. adversaries.
10 a.m.: Marco Rubio, State Department
The Florida senator was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering his nomination for secretary of state. As head of the State Department, Rubio would oversee the U.S. foreign service, advise Trump on diplomatic appointments and conduct negotiations with foreign leaders on the administration’s behalf.
10 a.m.: Chris Wright, Energy Department
The fossil fuel executive, one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to combat climate change, appears before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The Secretary oversees energy production and operate in the United States as well as the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Wright would also join Burgum on the National Energy Council.
1 p.m.: Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget
Vought, OMB director during Trump’s first term, appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Vought was closely involved in Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that the Republican candidate tried to distance himself from during the campaign. The budget director oversees the preparation of the presidential budget and the review of proposed regulations.
Thursday
10 a.m.: Scott Turner, Department of Housing and Urban Development
The former NFL player, who led the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term, appears at a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Turner is a professional mentor, pastor and former member of the Texas House. HUD is tasked with addressing the nation’s housing needs and fair housing laws and oversees housing for the poorest Americans.
10 a.m.: Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency
The former New York congressman appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The agency’s responsibilities include environmental issues, conducting assessments, research, education, and maintaining and enforcing national standards.
10:15 a.m.: Bondi, Day 2 before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
10:30 a.m.: Scott Bessent, Treasury Department
The billionaire wealth manager from South Carolina answers questions from members of the Senate Finance Committee. Bessent would be the first openly Senate-confirmed LGBTQ cabinet member in a Republican administration. The finance chief helps formulate financial, economic and tax policies and manage the national debt.
Dates not yet confirmed
Not all hearings of Trump’s decisions have been scheduled yet, including some of the most controversial:
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Department of Labor
Tulsi Gabbard, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Department of Health and Human Services
Howard Lutnick, Department of Commerce
Linda McMahon, Education Department
Kash Patel, FBI
Brooke Rollins, Department of Agriculture
Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador
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Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP.
