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© AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Evan Vucci
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Trump Cabinet picks face tough road ahead
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Several of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks may face early tests that could determine whether their nominations are viable in the Senate.
First up: The House Ethics Committee will meet Wednesday amid controversy over whether to release the results of an investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is Trump’s pick for attorney general.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said the report must remain under wraps, citing Congressional precedent to only release findings for current members. Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress after his nomination last week, which came days before the Ethics Committee was set to release the report.
However, the GOP senators who will vote on Gaetz’s nomination are adamant that they view the report, even if the results are concealed from the public.
“Absolutely I believe the Senate should have access to that,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.”
Complicating matters, the lawyer who testified to the House Ethics Committee about allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz will be going on a media offensive, according to an interview with Politico Playbook.
Gaetz denies the allegations and the Department of Justice declined to bring charges against him.
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The Hill’s Alexander Bolton has a thorough rundown on the nine senators who could derail Trump’s Cabinet picks. With a 53-47 majority, a nominee can only afford to lose three GOP senators if all Democrats vote against them.
However, Speaker Johnson has left open the possibility of a recess appointment for Trump’s Cabinet picks that are not moved expeditiously through the confirmation process, potentially bypassing the need for Senate approval.
What is a recess appointment? Via The Hill’s Emily Brooks: “Trump can recess-appoint nominees if Congress adjourns both chambers for 10 days or longer. The Constitution, however, dictates that neither chamber of Congress can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other, giving the House — and therefore, its Speaker — a say in whether it would be possible for Trump to recess-appoint his Cabinet.”
That would mean Johnson and newly elected Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-S.D.) would have to be on the same page about a procedure that the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board described as “anti-Constitutional.”
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Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, is under scrutiny for a paid settlement to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Hegseth has denied the allegation, and his lawyer said he’s “completely innocent.” Hegseth will likely be grilled by the Senate for his past remarks about keeping women out of combat roles.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has so far received a warm reception from Senate Republicans in his bid lead the Department of Health and Human Services, although the medical establishment is warning in stark terms that his nomination “fails on all fronts.”
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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have federal workers bracing for an overhaul of the civil service in their roles as leaders of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. Here’s how Ramaswamy described their mandate: “We expect mass reductions,” he told Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo. “We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright. We expect mass reductions in force in areas of the federal government that are bloated.”
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Trump made several appointments and nominations over the weekend:
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💡Perspectives:
• The Bulwark: How far will Trump go to install his unqualified Cabinet?
• The Liberal Patriot: The Dems’ long goodbye to the working class.
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.
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Biden surprises with decision on U.S. missiles in Ukraine
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President Biden over the weekend authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-made long-range missiles to attack Russia, a potentially significant escalation during the lame-duck period that received blowback from President-elect Trump’s inner circle.
The authorization comes after North Korea deployed thousands of troops to Russia to assist in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
The Kremlin on Monday issued a fiery rebuke, saying Biden had added “fuel to the fire.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in September that if the U.S. authorized Ukraine’s use of the missiles, “it will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine.”
For now, Ukraine’s use of the U.S. missile system will only apply to the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukrainian troops have taken control of some Russian territory and faced counter-attacks from North Korean troops.
Donald Trump Jr., a close adviser to his father, accused the Biden administration of trying to start “World War 3” before Trump takes office.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives,” he tweeted. “Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!”
Trump has promised to bring a swift end to the war, although there are fears among Ukrainian supporters that the president-elect will pressure Ukraine to give up land that Russia seized.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects the war to wind down “faster” with Trump in office.
“This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them,” Zelensky said.
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💡Perspectives:
• The Guardian: Liberals have no answers for a modern age in crisis.
• American Greatness: Can Trump end Ukraine’s ‘endless war’?
• Slate: Will the resistance reassemble?
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29 days until electors vote in their states.
32 days until the government funding deadline.
46 days until the new Congress begins and the House leadership elections.
49 days until Congress counts the electoral votes.
63 days until Inauguration Day.
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Washington roundup: Trump promises to be ‘open and available’ to the press
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