Senate hearings for Trump nominees resume on Capitol Hill
The Senate is gearing up for separate committee hearings on Wednesday for three of President Donald Trump’s administration nominees, including the controversial former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and business executive Howard Lutnick. The hearings are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. for Kennedy in the Finance Committee and Lutnick in the Commerce Committee.
Kennedy has been nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), while Lutnick is Trump’s pick for Commerce secretary. In the afternoon, Kelly Loeffler will appear before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship as Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration.
Trump’s other nominees, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, have already been confirmed. However, Kennedy, former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and potential nominee Kash Patel may face challenges in securing confirmation.
Gabbard has been nominated to be the director of national intelligence, while Patel is slated to be the next attorney general. The Finance Committee will vote on advancing Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor, and he will also have a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions due to the position’s importance in public health.
Senators on both sides of the aisle are expected to question Kennedy on his past statements regarding vaccines and how he would implement his beliefs if confirmed to lead HHS. The confirmation process for these nominees is expected to be closely watched and contentious.
Follow our coverage of these hearings and updates on the confirmation process for Trump’s administration nominees on our website. Stay tuned for more developments on these key appointments in the coming days.
