Read the full article on KETV 7
Trump nominees head to Capitol Hill Wednesday for what could be heated confirmation hearings
Three Trump administration nominees, including Todd Blanche for attorney general, face Senate confirmation hearings Wednesday, with questions expected on key issues.
Supervising Producer
WASHINGTON —
Three Senate confirmation hearings are scheduled Wednesday for Trump administration nominees Todd Blanche, Jay Clayton and Erica Schwartz, with varying levels of bipartisan support and scrutiny.
Attorney general confirmation hearing
Todd Blanche, nominated for attorney general, is expected to face tough questions from Democrats who argue he is acting as the president’s personal attorney rather than defending the nation’s laws. Some Republicans, like Sen. Thom Tillis, are on the fence about backing his nomination.
Advertisement
Democrats are likely to press Blanche on his decision to halt the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which was intended to compensate Americans claiming to be victims of politically motivated prosecutions. Weeks after announcing the program, Blanche said they are not moving forward with the fund.
The death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, could impact Blanche’s confirmation hearing Wednesday. After his sudden death, the committee is left with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
Graham’s sister was sworn into his seat Tuesday but is not yet on any committees. If one Republican votes against confirming Blanche, it could derail his nomination.
You can watch the hearing by clicking here.
Director of national intelligence
Jay Clayton, the nominee for director of national intelligence, will also testify Wednesday. Clayton, who currently serves as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, has received bipartisan praise. However, Democrats are expected to question how he would handle election interference, potentially from the White House.
Lawmakers are eager to expedite Clayton’s confirmation due to concerns about the interim director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience. Pulte has reportedly been firing people from the intelligence community.
Pulte has also targeted the president’s perceived political opponents in his other role leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency by making criminal referrals alleging insurance and mortgage fraud.
Democrats are also withholding their votes to renew a lapsed foreign surveillance program until Clayton takes over as DNI.
You can watch the hearing by clicking here.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general and the nominee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, will also appear on Capitol Hill. Schwartz is seeking to lead an agency that has experienced frequent leadership changes since President Donald Trump returned to office. Trump’s previous nominee for CDC director, Dave Weldon, was never confirmed due to controversy, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Susan Monarez.
You can watch the hearing by clicking here.
Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
