OPINION:
There is a reason the founders wrote Article 2, Section 2 and clause 2 into the Constitution. They give the president the power to nominate people to high office. But that power is not absolute. The president’s authority is limited by giving the Senate the power to advise on and consent to those nominations.
Conservatives have rightly criticized the Biden administration for not properly vetting immigrants who have entered the country illegally and in a few cases, committed crimes, including murder and rape, while here. If vetting is important when it comes to people crossing our border — and it is — it is equally important when it comes to those who would have power and authority over us in some of the most important Cabinet positions.
The definition of “vetting” should be helpful to senators: “The act or process of appraising or checking a person or thing for suitability.” Just because someone may present themselves with good ideas does not necessarily make them suitable for the job.
The suggestion that the Senate and House adjourn for 10 days to allow President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees to pass without hearings is a bad idea that could come back to haunt Mr. Trump, his administration and the public.
All the president’s nominees should be vetted, but four deserve more extensive examination to determine their suitability for the offices they seek:
Fox News personality and former Army National Guard Maj. Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense (no experience and charges of sexual assault, which his attorney has denied).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose radical ideas about vaccinations and other things need more examination, for secretary of health and human services.
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. Her ties to the Science of Identity Foundation, a group some have called a cult, and her favorable comments about Syrian dictator Bashir Assad and Russia must be explained.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. His legal experience is minimal at best. The House Ethics Committee should release its report on Mr. Gaetz and what it found concerning charges of sex with a minor and obstruction. Mr. Gaetz has denied the charges, and the Justice Department declined to prosecute him.
This should not be partisan. Senators need to hear from each of these nominees under oath.
Yes, Washington is ripe for change: The bureaucracy needs to be shaken up. But it must be done the right way, for the right reasons and with the right people.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, should resist pressure to rush through these nominations without hearings and a vote. Several Republican senators have already expressed misgivings about these four. They should be allowed to voice their concerns and ask questions, and vote according to how comfortable they are with the answers.
The nominees ought to be able to explain why they are the best people Mr. Trump could choose for these important positions and what they intend to do if confirmed. Call it a type of “why do you want to be president?” question.
If senators need wisdom in doing the jobs they are elected and expected to do, they might consider the Book of Proverbs, which contains many instructions concerning wisdom and foolishness. Here are two of my favorites: “Get all the advice you can, and you will succeed; without it you will fail” (Proverbs 15:22). And then there is this one which should apply not only to senators but also to nominees: “If you refuse good advice, you are asking for trouble; follow it, and you are safe” (Proverbs 13:13).
Holding hearings on Mr. Trump’s nominees does not mean they can’t be quickly confirmed. But a rush to judgment can lead to disaster: “Fools will believe anything, but the wise think about what they do” (Proverbs 14:15).
• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (Humanix Books).
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