Several of President Donald Trump’s nominees for key administration posts will face Senate confirmation hearings this week, as lawmakers work to fill vacant positions before the August recess.
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Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and Trump’s pick for permanent director of national intelligence, is expected to appear Wednesday for a hearing that had been postponed in June. Trump had called on the Senate to hold off on Clayton’s nomination until Jamie McDonald was confirmed as the new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, prompting Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton to delay the proceeding.
The push to confirm a permanent intelligence chief comes after Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act lapsed June 12, an authority that allows the government to monitor communications of foreign targets abroad, including when they involve American citizens.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will also go before the Senate Wednesday as he seeks confirmation to permanently lead the Justice Department, a post he has held on an acting basis since April after Trump removed Pam Bondi. Blanche brings 15 years of Justice Department experience, including time as a paralegal and federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, and later served as one of Trump’s defense attorneys in several legal cases.
Blanche’s path to confirmation has not been without friction. Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said he would withhold support unless Blanche agrees to further brief lawmakers on tax audit matters involving Trump and his family, while North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has said he needs assurance the Justice Department will operate independently of White House influence. Blanche also drew scrutiny from Senate Republicans over a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate victims of government weaponization, after concerns emerged that the fund could benefit people convicted of violent crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Blanche later testified to the House that the department had dropped the fund.
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Other hearings this week include Deputy Surgeon General Erica Schwartz, nominated to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Wednesday. The CDC has lacked permanent leadership for roughly a year, since Trump removed Susan Monarez as director after clashes with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy. An earlier nominee, Dr. David Weldon, withdrew his name in 2025 amid Senate concerns over past comments questioning vaccine safety.
Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling is slated to appear Thursday before the same committee. He has served in an acting capacity since April, when Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned during an internal investigation into misconduct allegations.
On Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee will hear from Jay Hurst, Trump’s nominee for Pentagon comptroller, who has served in the role on an acting basis since being nominated in May. If confirmed, Hurst would be the first Senate-confirmed defense chief financial officer of Trump’s second term. His hearing is expected to draw questions on the resumption of U.S. strikes on Iran this week, which ended a 60-day ceasefire reached in mid-June, as lawmakers press for details on the operation’s cost and scope.
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