The Senate is expected to vote on more of Trump's Cabinet nominees this week, with a handful of his controversial Cabinet nominees set to answer questions during confirmation hearings.
Tulsi Gabbard was nominated by President Trump to be Director of National Intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kash Patel, who was nominated by President Trump to head the FBI, and Kash Patel are scheduled to appear at related committee hearings this week, with senators weighing in on their past comments, various positions, and their vision for the next four years. Questions may be asked, which can lead to tension.
On the House side, Republican lawmakers are convening in Florida for their annual retreat, where they plan to discuss plans to advance President Trump's policies. The president is scheduled to attend on Monday.
Also this week, the Senate is expected to consider a bill that would impose sanctions on individuals associated with the International Criminal Court after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials last year.
Senate to consider additional Trump Cabinet nominees
The Senate is on track to confirm more of President Trump's Cabinet nominees this week as Republican leaders aim to start a presidential administration quickly.
The Senate is expected to confirm Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary on Monday after he cleared a key procedural hurdle in a bipartisan vote on Saturday. Also on Monday, senators will hold a procedural vote on Sean Duffy's nomination as Secretary of Transportation.
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on the nomination of Pam Bondi to be attorney general, and on Thursday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on the nomination of Representative Elise Stefanik (R.N.Y.) to be ambassador to the United States. A vote is planned. united nations. Stefanik is expected to advance the confirmation process with bipartisan support.
Aside from committee and floor votes, a number of key cabinet nominees, including some controversial members, are scheduled to have confirmation hearings this week as President Trump looks to solidify his position.
President Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, but her confirmation hearing will draw a lot of attention as the former congresswoman faces scrutiny from lawmakers. It is expected that Specifically, some have raised concerns about her visit with former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in 2017 and her comments about the Russia-Ukraine war.
In addition, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, will appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Thursday, and hear from lawmakers this week. We plan to answer the following questions. The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to vote on Kennedy's confirmation at a later date.
President Kennedy's history of vaccine skepticism is likely to come up in the hearing.
Kash Patel, President Trump's nominee to head the FBI, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, where another controversial cabinet nominee will be heard. Patel has come under fire from lawmakers for her comments about the “deep state” and weaponized government and for vowing to wipe out FBI headquarters on her first day in office.
Separately from these three nominees, President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday. Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), who was nominated by President Trump to head the Small Business Administration, will answer questions from the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Wednesday. Daniel Driscoll, President Trump's nominee for secretary of the Army, is scheduled to have a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
House Republicans head to Florida to retreat
House Republicans head to Florida this week for their annual training camp as they plan to advance President Trump's far-reaching agenda.
The House Republican Conference is scheduled to gather at the Trump National Doral, with President Trump and Vice President Vance expected to attend. Trump is scheduled to attend the dinner Monday night.
The meeting comes as House Republicans look ahead to an ambitious timeline for accomplishing President Trump's policy goals, including extending the 2017 tax cuts, enacting border reform and passing energy policy. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said he wants to enact these wish list items in the massive package passed through the budget reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to overcome Democratic opposition in the Senate. Be able to avoid it.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he hopes to pass a budget resolution to start the reconciliation process the week of February 27, but this timeline will be difficult as the chair resolves a number of disagreements within the meeting. Very likely.
Apart from President Trump's policy push, Congress faces a March 14 deadline to fund the government and must address the debt limit this summer. These two thorny issues are likely to be heavy lifting for the narrow House Republican majority.
Republican lawmakers are expected to discuss all of these topics and more at training camp this week.
“We look forward to a great family meeting and a very productive working session to make a number of very important final decisions,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters on Thursday.
Senate to vote on ICC sanctions bill
The Senate is expected to vote this week on a bill imposing sanctions on ICC officials after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister for their involvement in the Israel-Hamas war.
On Tuesday at 2:15 p.m., the chamber will take a procedural vote on the bill.
The House passed the bill earlier this month on a bipartisan vote of 243-140, with 198 Republicans and 45 Democrats supporting it. If it passes the Senate, it will head to Trump's desk.
The bill, titled the “Countering Unlawful Courts Act,” would allow ICC officials or groups to assist in efforts to “investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute” U.S. citizens or nationals of allied countries that have not signed the Countering Unlawful Courts Act. It imposes sanctions on The Rome Statute is a treaty establishing courts and the countries they serve. If passed, it will go into effect 60 days after it is signed.
This week's vote is already on track to be bipartisan. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), a staunch ally of Israel, wrote to X that he intended to support the bill.
“The ICC’s treatment of Israel and its ambiguous response to Hamas has been unacceptable. We should absolutely sanction the ICC. I plan to vote in favor of this bill, and I respect my colleagues. We encourage you to represent and participate,” Fetterman wrote.
The ICC issued warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohamed Deif, the Hamas commander responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Tel Aviv has said it killed Deif, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. The ICC prosecutor has accused both Hamas and Israel of committing war crimes.
