Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will be shepherding some of the incoming Trump administration’s nominees around Capitol Hill for meetings with key senators this week.
The Senate is responsible for confirming President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, as well as personnel for other high-level administration positions.
Formal confirmation hearings and proceedings will not begin until the next Congress convenes in January, but nominees can begin meeting with senators now to make their case for confirmation.
Several GOP senators confirmed Mr. Vance, who is still a sitting senator from Ohio until he resigns next year to assume the vice presidency, will help arrange meetings between senators and the Trump nominees.
“They are going to be in town this week and then move from there,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican, who did not know if any meetings had been put on his schedule yet.
Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, said Mr. Vance is a logical choice to serve as a bridge between the Trump transition team and the Senate.
“He’s one of us,” he said.
It was not immediately clear if Mr. Vance would serve as a “sherpa” — the term used to describe a liaison who helps guide nominees through the Senate confirmation process — for all Trump’s top administration picks or just help with select nominees.
The Washington Times reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.
One of the nominees who will be on Capitol Hill to meet with senators this week is former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Mr. Trump’s pick for attorney general. Mr. Gaetz’s nomination is among the more controversial choices because of allegations he had sex with a minor while in office, an accusation he has denied.
The House Ethics Committee was investigating that claim, as well as other accusations that Mr. Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors and tried to obstruct government probes of his conduct.
While the Ethics Committee lost jurisdiction to further investigate Mr. Gaetz once he resigned from Congress last week, the panel had prepared a draft report on its findings that it is considering releasing. Several senators on both sides of the aisle have said the report should be made available as part of Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation process.
Other Trump nominees who will reportedly be joining the Capitol Hill meetings this week include Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary, former Rep. Doug Collins for Veterans’ Affairs secretary and Rep. Elise Stefanik for ambassador to the United Nations.
Sen. John Barrasso, the Republican Conference chair, said the Senate will begin holding confirmation hearings for Mr. Trump’s nominees as soon as the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. That will prepare them to vote on some of the nominees starting on Jan. 20, Mr. Trump’s Inauguration Day.
“The Senate is ready to act on nominations,” the Wyoming senator said. “President Trump has made a number of bold nominations and he has done it at a rapid pace. It should surprise no one that these individuals are fighters who are ready to get the country back on track. Each one deserves a hearing, a fair process and a timely vote.”
Mr. Trump has urged the Senate to consider recess appointments for any picks that may face resistance or delay tactics from Democrats. The process would require the House and Senate to both agree to adjourn for 10 days, which Democrats could block in the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who will be stepping down as GOP leader at the end of this Congress, denied reporting from the weekend that quoted him at a Washington gathering as saying, “There will be no recess appointments.”
“There’s been all kinds of rumors floating around, but I haven’t addressed that issue,” the Kentucky Republican said. “We’ll just see how this unfolds.”
While Mr. McConnell declined to rule out recess appointments, he indicated there would not be a departure from Senate norms.
“I am confident that we’ll engage the same kind of vetting process that we have historically done under both parties for these nominees,” he said.
Mr. McConnell will replaced as the top GOP leader next Congress by Sen. John Thune, South Dakota Republican, whom the conference elected last week over two other candidates.
Mr. Thune has also not ruled out recess appointments but said in a Fox News interview last week that it would be difficult to convince any Republicans who may stand in the way of confirming Mr. Trump’s nominees to vote to adjourn for a recess, let alone Democrats.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday that his party would oppose recess appointments.
“We believe every nominee deserves a vote,” he said. “A lot of that is in Senator Thune’s hands.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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