Senate confirmation

Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine confirmation hearing in Washington DC

National

What to know about Dan Caine, the nation's newly-confirmed top military adviser

8:35am April 11, 2025

The Senate voted around 2 a.m. Friday to confirm retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump plucked him from retirement to be his top military adviser.

AUSTRALIA-BRITAIN-DEFENCE-SUBMARINES-AUKUS

Caroline Kennedy calls her cousin, RFK Jr., a 'predator' ahead of his confirmation hearings

6:12pm January 28, 2025

In a letter, Kennedy said RFK Jr. was "unqualified" to be the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary just hours before he was scheduled to appear for confirmation hearings.

National

Affidavit by Hegseth's ex-sister-in-law makes new claims about his behavior

9:13pm January 21, 2025

Hegseth was voted out of committee Monday along party lines. The Senate is expected to take up his nomination soon; it is unclear how these new allegations will alter the trajectory of his nomination.

Chris Magnus testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on his nomination to be the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, Tuesday, Oct. 19, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

National

Customs and Border Protection nominee pledges to balance security and humanity

6:19pm October 19, 2021

by Joel Rose

President Biden's pick to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus, told senators that he would seek to balance border security with humane treatment of migrants.

Neera Tanden, President Biden's nominee for director of the Office and Management and Budget, speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Tanden apologized for past insults to Republicans.

Politics & Government

Neera Tanden Apologizes After Comparing GOP Senators To Voldemort And Vampires

3:22pm February 09, 2021

by Scott Horsley

President Biden's pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget apologized for previously insulting Republicans and promised to work in a bipartisan manner if confirmed.

Antony Blinken listens last week during his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Senate Confirms Antony Blinken As Secretary Of State

1:42pm January 26, 2021

by Michele Kelemen

The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken as President Biden's secretary of state on Tuesday. The vote was 78-22. As the top U.S. diplomat, Blinken will face an array of national security challenges.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in May. She wants an Army officer who testified at Trump impeachment hearings to get his promotion.

Senator Puts Rare Hold On Military Promotions Over Ousted Army Officer

10:57pm July 02, 2020

by David Welna

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified in impeachment hearings. He's been due for promotion to the rank of full colonel, but that has not happened. Sen. Tammy Duckworth wants assurances that it will.

Ken Cuccinelli testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee during a hearing on the government's response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on March 5, 2020. Cuccinelli is the senior official performing the duties of the deputy secretary a

How Trump Has Filled High-Level Jobs Without Senate Confirmation Votes

3:22pm March 09, 2020

by Joel Rose

The Trump administration is increasingly turning to an obscure bureaucratic tactic to fill top government jobs without Senate confirmation. But critics say that may violate federal law.

Queue Listen Now

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, and their daughters stand by President Trump after the president announced Kavanaugh's nomination on Monday.

Trump Taps Brett Kavanaugh As His 2nd Supreme Court Pick

10:33pm July 09, 2018

by Scott Horsley

A Washington insider with roots in politics, he believes a sitting president should be protected from litigation and criminal investigations. If confirmed, he would solidify the conservative majority.

CIA director nominee Gina Haspel attends Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's ceremonial swearing-in at the State Department in Washington last week.

National

CIA Nominee Gina Haspel Faces A Senate Showdown

7:28pm May 06, 2018

by Greg Myre

Haspel is the first woman nominated for the CIA's top job. Her covert career and links to waterboarding will likely make for an unusual Senate confirmation hearing with an uncertain outcome.