The Senate has organized several confirmation hearings starting Monday to push through numerous nominees from President Donald Trump before the August recess.
Nominees for critical positions, such as the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the new Attorney General, are on the agenda. Senate Republicans are eager to finalize these appointments before time runs out.
Jay Clayton, who is the attorney for the Southern District of New York and has been nominated by President Trump for the permanent DNI role, is set to appear at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Originally, there was a hearing arranged for Clayton on June 17, shortly after his nomination to succeed former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, but it was postponed abruptly after the President requested the Senate to hold off.
On Truth Social, President Trump mentioned that Clayton’s nomination couldn’t proceed until Jamie McDonald is confirmed as the new attorney for the Southern District of New York. Following this, Tom Cotton, the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, confirmed that the planned hearing would be delayed.
“It’s unfortunate that the President directed Jay Clayton not to come to today’s hearing,” Cotton remarked. “As the President has said repeatedly, Mr. Clayton is a patriot and incredibly qualified. While today’s hearing has been postponed, I’m hopeful we can advance his confirmation soon.”
The Senate has been aiming to expedite Clayton’s confirmation, especially after the expiration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on June 12. This section allows the government to gather and search data on U.S. citizens without a warrant if they interact with a non-citizen abroad.
Senate Republicans generally expressed their support for Clayton according to statements made. Interestingly, Democrats didn’t provide any negative feedback about him but targeted criticism at Bill Pelt, the acting DNI appointed briefly by Trump.
“I think he’s a really good choice. He’s clearly very competent with a solid track record,” Thune shared with the media on June 11. “I hope Democrats who are unbiased about this reach the same conclusion.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated he supported removing Pelt when asked about his stance on Clayton.
A hearing is also scheduled for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whom President Trump nominated to take over from Pam Bondi. Blanche has been acting attorney general since April 2, after Bondi was dismissed.
He has held various roles at the Department of Justice (DOJ) over his 15-year career there. He previously served as a defense attorney in three lawsuits involving Trump from 2023 to 2024.
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, stated he would not support Blanche unless she offered “further clarification” regarding tax audit issues involving Trump and his family.
North Carolina’s Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he wouldn’t guarantee support for Blanche if he even slightly suspected that the Justice Department was under Trump’s influence.
Blanche has been involved in tense discussions with Senate Republicans over a $1.8 billion Anti-Weapons Fund designed to assist victims affected by governmental weapon usage. Some senators raised concerns it might benefit defendants convicted of violent offenses during the January 6 insurrection, and there’s a chance they might back a Democrat-led effort to abolish it, risking a veto from Trump regarding the $69.5 billion settlement signed on June 10.
On June 2, Blanche testified to the House of Representatives that the DOJ had paused the fund.
Erica Schwartz, the Deputy Surgeon General, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Wednesday as she aims to become the next director of the CDC. In September, President Trump dismissed the former CDC Director, Susan Monarrez, after a conflict regarding vaccination policy.
The CDC has been without leadership for nearly a year since Monarrez’s firing. Dr. David Weldon, Trump’s last nominee for the position, withdrew in March 2025, expecting he wouldn’t garner enough support from the Senate Assistance Committee amidst concerns about his previous skeptical statements on vaccine safety.
Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling is also set to appear before the HELP Committee for a confirmation hearing on Thursday. If confirmed, he will succeed former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez Delemer, who resigned amid an ongoing internal investigation.
President Trump appointed Sonderling as acting secretary after Chavez-Delemer’s departure. The rush to schedule his hearing suggests Senate Republicans are confident in his confirmation.
On Tuesday, Pentagon Comptroller nominee Jay Hurst is due for his confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee. He was nominated by President Trump for the permanent role in May. Hurst is expected to be the administration’s first Senate-confirmed chief financial officer for the Pentagon since Trump’s second term commenced in January 2025.
Mr. Hurst may face questions regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran, particularly its recent escalation after a ceasefire ended in mid-June.
