Senate panel advances Defense secretary nominee Hegseth on party-line vote

The Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday voted to advance Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of Defense, to the floor.

The 14-13 vote was strictly along party lines.

Senators on the Armed Services panel also voted to waive the seven-day rule that usually requires at least a week to elapse between a nominee’s confirmation hearing and a vote to discharge from committee.

Senate Republicans then held a separate vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination.

Hegseth is one of Trump's most high-profile nominees, and his confirmation hearing last week featured some fireworks as Democrats went on the attack.

Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.), a Democrat on the committee, called the Monday vote “disappointing.”

“It’s extremely disappointing, for a couple of reasons. One, we think there’s some additional information that’s likely to come out in the next few days that could be very troubling. I think people have a right to know what that is,” he said.

“And, two, I believe all of my [Democratic] colleagues requested meetings with Mr. Hegseth. Certainly, my schedule was wide open. We said, ‘Give us a time. We’re willing to meet, whenever it works for you.’ And we never got a response,” he said.

Hegseth met with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Armed Services panel but not with any other Democrats on the committee.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), another member of the panel, argued that Republicans shouldn’t have waived the customary seven-day rule since Hegseth only met with one Democrat on the committee.

“He did not do the courtesy to meet with the minority members but the majority voted to waive it anyway,” he said.

“This is isn’t over until we get to the floor,” he said. “I’m energized.”

The strong opposition to Hegseth expressed by Democrats on the Armed Services panel signals they will use many of the procedural tools at their disposal to slow his confirmation on the Senate floor.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), another Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, criticized Hegseth Monday for stock his wife holds in two major Department of Defense contractors.

“Given your household’s ownership of stock in several defense contractors and your unwillingness at your confirmation hearing to commit to post-employment restrictions, I am concerned that you will enter this role with serious conflicts of interest,” Warren wrote in a letter to Hegseth.

Republicans appear confident Hegseth will get enough Republican votes to win confirmation later this month.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told NBC’s “Today” in an interview that all of Trump’s Cabinet nominees “have a path to get” to confirmation.

Updated at 6:06 p.m.

Topics

Senate panel advances Trump OMB nominee

Senators advanced the nomination of Russell Vought, who was tapped to be President Trump’s next budget chief, on Monday, as Republicans are ramping up efforts to confirm the president’s nominees. ...
The Hill - 2h
Senate panel advances Noem nomination for Homeland Security secretary

A Senate committee cleared President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a bipartisan vote, paving the way for a Senate floor vote. The Senate Homeland Security ...
The Hill - 2h
Acting Defense secretary sworn in as Hegseth awaits confirmation

The Pentagon on Monday swore in Robert G. Salesses as the acting secretary of Defense while President Trump's nominee Pete Hegseth awaits Senate confirmation. Salesses was sworn in just after noon, ...
The Hill - 8h
Pete Hegseth Is the Secretary of Defense We Deserve

If you thought the former TV host would be asked important questions at the confirmation hearings this week, you must be living under the illusion that we live in a serious country.
The New York Times - 5d
Embattled defense pick Pete Hegseth grilled at Senate confirmation hearing

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of defense, was grilled on Tuesday during his Senate confirmation hearing. Hegseth answered questions regarding assault ...
CBS News - 5d
Sen. Duckworth says Hegseth's hearing "confirmed that he is not qualified" for defense secretary

Democratic Senators criticized President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an ...
CBS News - 6d
Watch live: Senate panel grills Hegseth in first Trump confirmation hearing

The Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday begins a busy week of Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings with the president-elect's Pentagon nominee, Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and former Fox ...
The Hill - 6d
F.B.I. Briefs Top Senators on Armed Services Panel About Hegseth

The committee’s Republican chairman and its top Democrat were briefed on F.B.I. findings into Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick. Democrats questioned whether there were gaps.
The New York Times - Jan. 12
Senate panel seeking more info on Hegseth ahead of confirmation hearings: Sources

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee have quietly requested more information regarding allegations involving Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth, sources say.
ABC News - Jan. 3

More from The Hill

Trump signs executive order pausing foreign assistance for 3 months

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order suspending any new U.S. foreign development assistance for three months, and directed a review of foreign assistance programs to ensure they line ...
The Hill - 32m
Trump signs order to withdraw U.S. from WHO

President Trump issued an executive order Monday night withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization. The U.S. has historically been the largest funder of the Geneva-based ...
The Hill - 33m
Trump signs executive order recognizing only two sexes

President Trump signed a sweeping executive order Monday during his first hours in office recognizing only two sexes, male and female, and directing federal agencies to cease promotion of the ...
The Hill - 41m
Trump freezes new outer continental shelf offshore wind leases

President Trump directed the Treasury Department to freeze new offshore wind leases on the outer continental shelf Monday evening as one of a flurry of executive orders he signed within hours of ...
The Hill - 58m
Trump issues orders aiming to drill in contentious Alaska areas, revisit Biden climate rules

President Trump late Monday issued a pair of executive orders that seek to bolster oil and gas drilling — including in contentious areas of Alaska. One order seeks to open up drilling in Alaska’s ...
The Hill - 1h