The US Senate will soon consider the nominations for the cabinet of the newly elected President Donald Trump. Many candidates for office in the new administration are facing questions about their positions and qualifications, which is why the nomination confirmation process could be different this time around.
According to tradition, candidates for key positions in the future Trump cabinet meet with US senators who will decide on the confirmation of their nomination.
"I'm sure that your previous, eight-year experience as the chief prosecutor of Florida has prepared you for this job," Republican Senator Chuck Gresley said recently during a meeting with candidate for Secretary of Justice Pam Bondi.
Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, is expected to be confirmed in the Senate.
"The president sets foreign policy — the State Department's job is to implement it," Rubio told reporters recently.
However, Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee to head the Pentagon, has never held a leadership position in the military. He was an anchor on the conservative TV network Fox News.
"We give priority to fighters. That's what Donald Trump asked me to do. To return the fighting spirit to the Pentagon," Hegset told reporters during a visit to Capitol Hill.
Hegsett is one of several candidates whose controversial statements may make it difficult for some Republican senators to confirm him.
"President-elect Trump can't just expect everyone to listen to him. Because you might have some on the Republican side who could make life really difficult for him if their views aren't taken into account or given the necessary respect." says Shannon O'Brien of Texas State University.
The soon-to-be Republican Senate Majority Leader, Senator John Thune, promised a quick vote on Trump's nominees.
"We will do everything we can to quickly consider his nominees, and put them in office so they can begin to implement his agenda."
However, Trump has proposed to temporarily fill cabinet positions during the Senate recess, a once-controversial maneuver to avoid the constitutional role of members of Congress to confirm nominees.
"What if the president tries to use the power to deliberately dissolve Congress to fill cabinet positions temporarily? That has never happened. However, when he says he wants temporary appointments, the only possible way to do that is to dissolve Congress. However, it would end up in the courts," says Shannon O'Brien.
Republican senators are already opposing the move.
"That's a completely different issue. I don't think we should be sidestepping the responsibilities of the Senate," said Senator John Cornyn.
Presidents from both parties have in the past decided on temporary appointments, during a break in the Senate session. However, the Supreme Court limited this during the term of President Barack Obama.
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