The Latest: Rubio, Bondi, Ratcliffe and Duffy appear for Senate confirmation hearings

Senate hearings are scheduled this week for several of Trump's cabinet picks including Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Pam Bondi for attorney general. Many nominees have met with senators individually. Now, they'll go before the committees overseeing the agencies Trump wants them to run.

Here's the latest:

Rubio: The Greenland issue has opened ‘our eyes to the broader geographic importance of the Arctic region'

And he said that would be critical in the next 50 to 100 years with issues such as freedom of navigation and its effect on global trade and commerce.

Routes through the Arctic region would drastically cut transit time for cargo ships, Rubio said.

Aware of the commercial potentials of navigation through the Arctic region, China has proposed an Ice Silk Road to facilitate trade.

Bondi's confirmation hearing has ended for the day

Sen. Adam Schiff told Bondi a conflict between loyalty to Trump and her duty ‘will come to you'

Sen. Adam Schiff told Bondi that Democrats' concern is not about her friendship with Trump or loyalty to him, but what happens when that loyalty conflicts with her duty, the Constitution and her oath.

''And you may say that you believe that conflict will never come,'' but the first Trump administration showed that it will, Schiff said. ''Jeff Sessions, may not have believed him to come to him. It came to him. Bill Barr may not have believed it would come to him. It came to him,'' Schiff said of the attorneys general in Trump's first term.

''It will come to you, and what you do in that moment will define your attorney generalship, your public service. Everything you have done up to that moment will be judged by what you do in that moment,'' Schiff said.

Rubio says Cuba should still be considered a state sponsor of terrorism

Rubio indicated that the new administration would reverse plans by the Biden administration to remove Cuba from the state of sponsor of terrorism list.

''Nothing that the Biden administration has agreed to in the last 12 or 18 hours binds the next administration, which starts on Monday,'' Rubio said.

Rubio talks about the Panama Canal issue in his confirmation hearing

Rubio was asked about Trump's recent comments regarding control of the Panama Canal and while he said he hasn't ''looked at the legal research,'' he is ''compelled to suspect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that canal were turned over has been violated.''

But Rubio added that ''Panama is a great partner in a lot of other issues, and I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal.''

Biden's move last month spared the life of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their sentences to life in prison. Bondi said she looked at the facts in many of those cases, and ''they were so troubling to me.''

Trump has been an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment. There were 13 federal executions during Trump's first term, more than under any president in modern history.

Rubio put the blame on China for destabilizing the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea

''If the Chinese are in fact serious about stabilizing US-China relations and finding avenues in which we can be cooperate and avoid conflict, then they will not do anything rash or irrational when it comes to Taiwan or the Philippines for that matter,'' Rubio said. ''The actions they are taking now are deeply destabilizing. They're forcing us to take counter actions because we have commitments to the Philippines, and we have commitments to Taiwan that we intend to keep.''

The U.S. has a defense treaty with the Philippines, and it's obligated by a domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter invasion from the mainland.

Nearly four hours into Rubio's confirmation hearing, Sen. Tim Kaine says that it is rare to have a nominee or congressional witness so well-informed on the topics he is being questioned on.

''I think for those of you who have watched this hearing that was gaveled in at 10:00, what you have seen is a nominee who was extremely well prepared,'' the Virginia Democrat said. ''We're used to seeing nominees who know a lot about a couple of things. And sometimes know very little about virtually everything.''

It was a veiled reference by Kaine who spent Tuesday questioning Trump's defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who failed to answer several of Democrats' questions about the department.

Vought declined to answer a question about whether he'd release remaining $3.8 billion in Ukraine aid

''I'm not going to get ahead of the policy response of the incoming administration,'' Vought said in his confirmation hearing.

Vought said the issue would be worked through by lawyers and ''put through a policy process.''

He indicated he believes the 1976 law should be overturned.

The Chinese foreign ministry once accused Rubio of maliciously attacking China and harboring ‘despicable motives'

In 2019, the Chinese foreign ministry's Hong Kong office said Rubio had ''a record of maliciously attacking China and confusing right and wrong without any moral sense.''

The office's spokesperson also accused Rubio of harboring ''despicable motives'' with his lies about Hong Kong. The leading party-run newspaper People's Daily described Rubio as ''an anti-China clown'' and derided him for ''refreshing our perception of sense of shame time and time again."

Another commentary on People's Daily's news site about Rubio then carried this headline: ''America's most radical anti-China politician rears his ugly head.''

‘We have got to work together to make America safe again,' Bondi says

Bondi echoed the Trump's ''Make America Great Again'' campaign slogan in a heated speech about violent crime after undergoing tough questioning by Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff.

Noting that Trump won the election with 312 electoral votes, Bondi said: ''People want law and order. They want to be safe so they can go to take their children to school, so they can go to church.''

''We have got to work together to make America safe again,'' Bondi said. ''And that, in turn, will make America great again. And I don't know where that phrase has become a bad word.''

At his confirmation hearing, Vought, Trump's nominee to be his budget director, noted that the annual cost of servicing the debt has climbed from $350 billion a year to more than what the federal government devotes to national defense. Publicly held national debt has climbed past $28 trillion, making it roughly equal in size to the U.S. gross domestic product.

Vought said he would need to get into office and put together a budget in order to assess where spending levels should be, but he said Trump's previous budget proposals would be a template.

White House budget director nominee says he won't withhold money authorized by Congress

Trump's nominee to be White House budget director says he'll spend money as allocated by Congress, instead of trying to withhold it as Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., accused him of previously doing in 2019 with $214 million in military aid for Ukraine.

Russell Vought was a budget director during Trump's first term and has been nominated for the same post.

The answer did not satisfy Peters. The withholding of military aid to Ukraine led to Trump's first impeachment, though Trump was not convicted.

FBI Director nominee Kash Patel appears at Senate GOP lunch

One of Trump's more controversial picks, Kash Patel for FBI director, made a brief appearance Wednesday at a private Senate GOP lunch at the Capitol.

''I'm thoroughly enjoying the advise and consent process,'' Patel said in the halls afterward. ''I look forward to meeting with as many senators as possible.''

Patel was being escorted in and out of the closed-door lunch by GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina who said he's supporting the nominee and expects he'll have a confirmation hearing soon.

Sean Duffy said he would review a pair of fines and crackdowns on Elon Musk's space exploration company that one senator described as excessive and hampering innovation.

''I commit to doing a review and working with you and following up on the space launches,'' said Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee as transportation secretary.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was referring to transportation department fines against Musk's SpaceX for allegedly violating rules regarding rocket launches.

Musk has come up several times in Duffy's senate confirmation hearing. The world's richest man is a close ally of Trump. Government ethics experts and watchdogs are concerned Musk will use his power to help shape rules to benefit his companies and kill investigations.

Rubio says much is at stake with US and China relations

''Never in the history of mankind have two powers, like the United States and China, ever faced off in the global conflict, and the outcome will be catastrophic,'' Rubio said.

He said earlier during the hearing that the U.S. strategy towards China would prioritize ''proper geopolitical balance'' to avoid ''any sort of conflict that could be deeply destabilizing.'' Beijing sanctioned Rubio in August 2020 over his support for Hong Kong's democratic causes, along with 10 other U.S. politicians and heads of organizations.

''I've been strongly worded in my views on China. Let me just point out they said mean things about me, too,'' Rubio said. It's unclear yet how Rubio would engage China if he should remained sanctioned as the secretary of state

Bondi says she doesn't agree with Trump comments that migrants are ‘poisoning the blood' of US

Bondi says she doesn't agree with comments Trump has made about migrants crossing the southern border ''poisoning the blood'' of America.

Bondi says her Department of Justice won't prosecute anyone because they are a political opponent

Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi says that her Department of Justice will not prosecute anyone because they are a political opponent.

Democrats have pressed Bondi at her confirmation hearing on Wednesday about how loyal she will be to President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed ''retribution'' against opponents in his second term.

Asked if she had discussed investigations of President Joe Biden with Trump, Bondi said ''absolutely not.'' She also said she had not had discussions with Trump about prosecuting House members who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

''People will be prosecuted on the facts and the law,'' Bondi said. ''No one should be prosecuted for political purposes.''

Republicans are using the hearing to air their criticism of Attorney General Merrick Garland's Justice Department – not just over the Trump cases, but the handling of the investigations of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and other matters.

Republicans claim the department went too easy on Hunter Biden, even though he was convicted of felony gun and tax charges before the pardon by his father last month.

Sen. Eric Schmitt also suggested there could have been coordination between the Justice Department and New York state prosecutors in the hush money case in which Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts. The Justice Department played no role in that case, which was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

‘This is a real genocide,' Rubio says of Sudan

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker asked Rubio about the ongoing humanitarian crisis that is happening in Sudan and what plans the incoming administration has to use diplomacy to end what the U.S. recently declared as an ongoing genocide.

Former VP Mike Pence's group is against confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Former Vice President Mike Pence's group, Advancing American Freedom, is urging senators to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy's confirmation hearing hasn't been scheduled yet. But in a letter to Republican senators, the group's president and board chair say they're ''deeply concerned'' about Kennedy's past comments on abortion and urge them to instead confirm someone who opposes abortion rights.

They say the agency's next leader ''must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children'' or will ''bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions.''

As a candidate, Kennedy voiced support for leaving decisions about whether to terminate a pregnancy to women, not the government — ''even if it's full-term'' — but later walked that back saying ''abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter.''

Protestors interrupted Chris Wright's confirmation hearing multiple times

One of them yelled ''LA is burning'' and another shouted ''I'm 18 years old and I want a future!'' They held up signs that read, ''big oil profits, LA burns.''

Wright, Trump's nominee for energy secretary, is a fossil fuel executive. His nomination went before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for a confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Lee banged his gavel, saying the committee would stand in recess until the Capitol Police could restore order.

Moments later, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith resumed her questioning of Wright.

Senate intelligence committee ends the public portion of its confirmation hearing for Ratcliffe

But the committee's questioning will continue behind closed doors for Trump's nominee to lead the CIA.

The committee met with Ratcliffe for about two hours Wednesday before going into closed session to discuss sensitive or classified intelligence matters.

Sen. Tom Cotton, the Arkansas Republican who leads the committee, said the panel will likely vote Monday to forward Ratcliffe's nomination on to the full Senate.

Sean Duffy says he'll let federal regulators investigate Elon Musk's Tesla

''Yes, I commit to this committee and you that I will let NHTSA do its investigation,'' said Duffy, referring to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The former congressman and reality TV star was responding to a question by Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts in his confirmation hearing for transportation secretary.

Duffy's decisions at the transportation department would have a direct effect on profits at Musk's companies, including his electric car maker Tesla. His companies have billions of dollars of contracts with the transportation department and other federal agencies, and is overseen by regulators with whom Musk has repeatedly clashed over the years.

GOP chairman shares news of Gaza war ceasefire deal at Rubio's hearing

Sen. Jim Risch interrupted a line of questioning Wednesday during Rubio's confirmation hearing for secretary of state to share the news that a ceasefire deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas.

Rubio, who has been in the hearing the duration of the latest negotiations, said he had hoped it would come to that resolution.

Bondi refuses to answer whether she would seek to prosecute Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith

Bondi refused to answer whether she would seek to prosecute Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who charged the president-elect with federal crimes in two separate criminal cases.

Bondi said she would not ''answer hypotheticals,'' adding: ''No one has been prejudged.''

Smith has long been the target of Trump's fury over the cases accusing the Republican of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Smith abandoned the two cases against Trump in November, citing the Justice Department policy not to prosecute sitting presidents.

Wright stands by statement that he believes ‘wildfires are just hype'

California Sen. Alex Padilla asked Chris Wright if he still believes ''wildfires are just hype'' since two massive blazes in Southern California have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

''You've written that the hype over wildfires is just hype to justify more impoverishment from bad government policies,'' Padilla said. ''And given the devastation that we're currently experiencing in Los Angeles, do you still believe that wildfires are just hype?''

Wright, Trump's energy secretary nominee, said he stood by his past comments. He then said climate change is real before Padilla cut him off.

Padilla said, ''tell that to the families of the more than two dozen lost in these fires and counting.''

Protestors interrupted Wright's confirmation hearing multiple times, one yelling that ''LA is burning'' and another shouting ''I'm 18 years old and I want a future!''

Rubio says the president has option to use military force to stop Mexican drug cartels at the border

Trump's secretary of state nominee, Marco Rubio, carefully navigated a GOP question about whether he would support the use of military force on the southern border to stop Mexican drug cartels.

''That's an option the president has at his disposal. Obviously, it's not one that is in the purview of the Department of State,'' Rubio said in response to a question from GOP Sen. Dave McCormick.

He added that there's a lot the U.S. can do ''in close partnership with our allies in Mexico'' to ''confront this challenge.''

When asked whether she agrees with Trump's characterization of the Jan. 6 rioters as ''hostages'' and ''patriots," Bondi said she was not familiar with those comments, which the president-elect made repeatedly on the campaign trail.

When pressed again on that question, Bondi repeated she was not familiar with it. Trump made a central part of his campaign an effort to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack and downplay the violence that left more than 100 police officers injured.

Bondi dodges question on whether she'd uphold TikTok ban

Asked by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., about whether she'd enforce a ban on the social media platform TikTok, Trump's pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, declined to answer.

''That's pending litigation,'' Bondi replied.

President-elect Donald Trump was critical of the social media app in the past but has recently made comments that are skeptical of a ban.

Rubio argues US must rebuild industrial base to reduce dependence on Chinese goods

To compete with China, Rubio argued that the efforts must start at home to rebuild its industrial base and to reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese goods and industrial supply chains. He urged action at home, or the U.S. could ''wind up living in a world where much of what we depend on for our security, our health, our safety, and our economic prosperity, we're largely depend on whether the Chinese allow us to have it or not.''

He signaled during the hearing that he would align with the president-elect not to restrict U.S. investments overseas, calling it ''a pretty unfair relationship'' if U.S. companies are restricted but the Chinese competitors are not.

Duffy says US is falling behind in the race to develop self-driving, autonomous vehicles

''Without clear rules , or a patchwork of rules state by state, we put ourselves behind those countries that allow innovators'' to develop the technology, said Duffy, Trump's pick for transportation secretary.

Chinese automakers in particular are threatening US automakers in the field of autonomous vehicles. Elon Musk's Tesla and other automakers are hoping the Trump administration will develop rules on a federal level to help speed development of the technology.

Rubio says he's hopeful a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas can be concluded quickly

And he said Gaza's post-conflict future will require international cooperation to succeed.

Rubio, Trump's nominee for secretary of state, also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he believed there are now opportunities for broader stability in the Middle East with recent developments in Lebanon and Syria.

On the region more broadly, Rubio said ''there are opportunities available now in the Middle East that did not exist 90 days ago.'' He referred to a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and the ouster of President Bashar Assad in Syria.

''There are now factors at play in the Middle East that I think we can build upon and may open the door to extraordinary and historic opportunities, not just to provide for Israel's security, but ultimately begin to confront some of these other factors,'' he said. ''But these things, again, are going to be hard work, and they'll require us to take advantage of those opportunities if they exist.''

Ratcliffe supports key government surveillance program that critics say violates personal privacy

John Ratcliffe, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the CIA, said he supports a key government surveillance program that authorities say is vital to national security but that critics have said it violates personal privacy.

During a confirmation hearing Wednesday, Ratcliffe told members of the Senate intelligence committee that he believes the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act provides essential information that can be used to prevent terrorist attacks and inform critical national security decisions. He called FISA an ''indispensable national security tool.''

Ratcliffe said rules in place are designed to ensure American's privacy is protected.

''Is it perfect? No,'' Ratcliffe said. ''It is critical, it is indispensable.''

Rubio affirmed his support for Taiwan, advocating for the ‘porcupine' approach

He said ''you want to make the cost of invading Taiwan higher than the benefit.''

China considers the self-governed island part of Chinese territory and vows to annex it by force if necessary. Rubio also during the hearing warned that China is a more formidable rival than the former Soviet Union because the country is a competitor in ''every realm'', such as technology, industry, geopolitics and science.

Bondi didn't directly answer when asked what she would would do if the president asked her to drop a criminal case. Bondi said she didn't believe that would ever happen.

''If I thought that would happen, I would not be sitting here today,'' she said.

She also deflected initially when asked what she would do if Trump ordered her to do something unethical or illegal. ''I will never, speak on a hypothetical, especially one saying that the president would do something illegal,'' she said. ''What I can tell you is my duty, if confirmed, as the attorney general will be to the Constitution and the United States of America.''

But when pressed again, Bondi suggested she would resign if asked to do something improper.

''I wouldn't be a prosecutor, I wouldn't be attorney general if anyone asked me to do something improper and I felt I had to carry that out,'' Bondi said. ''Of course, I would not do that. That's one of the main things you learn when you're a young prosecutor is to do the right thing.''

Members of the Senate intelligence committee grilled Ratcliffe during a confirmation hearing Wednesday, asking whether the nominee would hire or fire employees based on their politics.

They also asked Ratcliffe to promise not to politicize the CIA's work by targeting Trump foes or withholding intelligence that might displease the incoming president.

''Will you or any of your staff impose a political litmus test for CIA employees?'' asked Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent.

''No,'' Ratcliffe answered.

‘There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice,' Bondi says

Lawmakers questioned Bondi about Patel's list of officials he's claimed are part of the so-called ''deep state,'' which critics have described as Patel's ''enemies'' list.

When asked whether Bondi would ''enforce'' such a list, Bondi responded: ''There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice.''

Bondi vowed politics will play no part in her decisions as attorney general

''I believe that the Justice Department must be independent and must act independently,'' Bondi said. ''The number one job is to enforce the law fairly and even handedly. And that's what will be done if I am confirmed as the attorney general.''

Democrat have raised concerns about Bondi's ability to lead a Justice Department that's independent from the White House, given her longstanding political support of Trump.

That came when she was pressed about remarks she made on TV claiming ''the prosecutors will be prosecuted — the bad ones.''

Her remarks have raised concerns among Democrats given Trump's threats to use the agency to exact revenge on his perceived political opponents. Bondi is also echoing Trump's claims that he was prosecuted by the Justice Department for political purposes.

''They targeted Donald Trump,'' launching countless investigations against him, she said. ''That will not be the case if I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.''

Wright promises to implement Trump's ''bold energy agenda''

CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is Trump's pick to lead the Department of Energy. His nomination went before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

The centerpiece of Trump's energy policy is ''drill, baby, drill,'' and he has pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats' ''green new scam'' in favor of boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, which cause climate change when they are burned and greenhouse gases are released.

''President Trump shares my passion for energy,'' Wright said. ''And if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.''

Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper called Wright an ''unrestrained enthusiast for fossils fuels in almost every regard,'' but noted that he studied nuclear, worked on solar energy, and is a scientist who is open to discussion.

Wright promotes the idea that more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe.

Several committee members wished him a happy birthday. Wright appeared before the committee on his 60th birthday, surrounded by family and friends.

At the end of his opening statement, Rubio, who said it felt ''surreal'' to be on the other side of the Senate panel, asked for his colleagues' support to become the next secretary of state, using a bit of humor.

''Thank you and I hope I can earn your support, whether it's because you believe I would do a good job, or because you want to get rid of me,'' the Florida Republican said.

''Either way, the results are the same,'' Sen. James Risch, the GOP chair, joked back.

On Jan. 6 pardons, Bondi says she'd advise Trump ‘on a case by case basis'

Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi says that if she is confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general she will advise him ''on a case by case basis'' regarding his pledge to pardon defendants prosecuted for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

The rioters were Trump supporters trying to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden's victory. Many of them were convicted of harming police officers. ''I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country,'' Bondi said.

Ratcliffe promises lawmakers he is committed to expanding the agency's work while protecting American civil liberties

''I have always prioritized American civil liberties – something I will continue to do,'' Ratcliffe told members of the Senate intelligence committee during a confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Ratcliffe said the U.S. faces a complicated series of threats posed by adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. He said technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet are giving them new opportunities and that U.S. spy agencies must innovate to meet the challenges.

''Today we face what may be the most challenging national security environment in our nation's history,'' Ratcliffe said.

At Rubio's confirmation hearing before Foreign Relations Committee, protesters in Spanish and English interrupted his opening statement, arguing about issues regarding the Middle East and Latin America.

Rubio, who would be first Latino Secretary of State if confirmed, joked, ''I get bilingual protests which is kind of cool.''

Bondi asked if she can say Trump lost the 2020 election

The question came from Sen. Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee

Bondi said she accepts ''of course, that Joe Biden is the president of the United States.'' She later added: ''Do I accept the results? Of course I do.''

Rubio says he'll place America's interest ‘above all else'

Rubio promised Wednesday to implement President-elect Donald Trump's ''America First'' vision as secretary of state, vowing in his confirmation hearing that the incoming administration will forge a new path by placing American interests ''above all else.''

''Placing our core national interests above all else is not isolationism,'' Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ''It is the commonsense realization that a foreign policy centered on our national interest is not some outdated relic.''

Sean Duffy said he will make road safety a priority

Duffy reached for the personal in assuring senators he'd make road safety a priority as head of the transportation department, noting that his wife was in a car crash that could have killed her.

Ratcliffe received an introduction from former US Attorney General John Ashcroft

Ashcroft, a former Republican senator from Missouri, served as attorney general under President George W. Bush.

Ashcroft cited Ratcliffe's work as a federal prosecutor in Texas and his work on national security issues as a Republican Congressman.

Ashcroft, who has worked with Ratcliffe as an attorney, said the CIA nominee is ''tough but fair'' and focused on upholding the Constitution.

''I've seen him speak the unvarnished truth to those he works with and those he works for,'' Ashcroft said. ''He understands that the intelligence community exists to secure the liberty and freedoms of Americans.''

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, opened confirmation hearing for transportation secretary, noting someone who's likely to come up in questioning: Elon Musk.

''Now Elon Musk has launched his car in space,'' said Cruz, referring to fast changing technology the transportation secretary will oversee. ''A new era in transportation and infrastructure is here.''

Sean Duffy, a former Wisconsin congressman, reality TV star, and Fox News host, is hoping to take over the transportation department that will oversee highways, railroads, airspace and several Musk companies, including his Tesla electric car company.

Ratcliffe would be the first person to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and CIA

John Ratcliffe, a former Republican congressman from Texas, served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term. He's now Trump's pick to lead the CIA, the nation's premier spy agency. Ratcliffe's nomination went before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a confirmation hearing Wednesday.

The GOP chairman sees Trump and Rubio as a team to end the Ukraine war

In his opening statements, Sen. Jim Risch, the Republican chair of the Foreign Relations committee, outlined the various objectives the new GOP majority in Washington has abroad, including ending the nearly three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine.

''I am confident that if anyone can end this war, it's President Trump. And Marco is the right man to help ensure it is done in a way that guarantees security and stability for Ukraine, the U.S., and our allies, and prevents Russia from launching another war,'' the Idaho lawmaker said.

Bondi touted her experience as Florida's attorney general

That includes her efforts to combat human trafficking and opioid abuse.

''Fentanyl is raging through our country and I will do everything I can to fight that,'' she said.

Marco Rubio, Trump's Secretary of State pick, appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

The 53-year-old's nomination process is expected to be the most seamless of Trump's Cabinet picks and could be one of the few to receive near unanimous support from both sides of the aisle.

Bondi says she'll ‘restore confidence and integrity' to the Justice Department

And she said she'll end what she described as ''weaponization'' of the department. Bondi's remarks echo those of Trump and other Republicans, who claim the Justice Department has been used for political purposes under the Biden administration.

Like Trump, Bondi said: ''I believe we are on the ‘cusp of a New Golden age' where the Department of Justice can and will do better if I am confirmed.''

Bondi says her priorities as attorney general would include prosecuting violent crime and gangs

Those priorities would also include protecting the nation from terrorists and ''addressing the overwhelming crisis at the border,'' she said.

''The Department of Justice must also return to defending the foundational rights of all Americans, including free speech, free exercise of religion, and the right to bear arms,'' Bondi told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Tom Cotton says US spy agencies must do a better job of responding to terrorism

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said the nation's intelligence officials often work in difficult, dangerous environments with little public recognition. But he said recent events like the attack in New Orleans show they must do more to identify threats before they turn lethal.

''In these dangerous times, our intelligence agencies haven't anticipated major events or detected impending attacks,'' Cotton said. ''I could give other examples but suffice it to say we're too often in the dark.... The CIA has neglected its core mission.''

Cotton's comments came at the start of a confirmation hearing for John Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee for CIA director. Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term. He's a former Republican member of Congress.

The committee's top Democrat wants to know if Bondi can tell Trump ‘no'

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he wants to know whether Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi will be able to tell President-elect Donald Trump ''no.''

Durbin noted that Trump has vowed to seek retribution against ''the enemy within'' and threatened to prosecute or jail some of his political opponents and that Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, has echoed those calls.

Grassley says ‘change is desperately needed' at the Justice Department

He listed a litany of complaints about the Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland, including the criminal cases brought against Trump and the FBI's search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

The Justice Department abandoned the cases against Trump in November, citing the department's policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Grassley urged a swift confirmation of Bondi, saying her prosecutorial experience ''speaks volumes about her character and her dedication to the rule of law.''

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says Bondi's qualifications ‘speak for themselves'

The confirmation hearing is getting underway for Trump's attorney general pick, Pam Bondi

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, corporate lobbyist and longtime fixture in Trump's orbit, is expected to face questions over her loyalty to Trump, given his threats to seek revenge on his perceived political enemies.

Today's Cabinet confirmation schedule

9:30 a.m.: Pam Bondi, Justice Department The former Florida attorney general makes the first of two scheduled appearances before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was Trump's pick for attorney general hours after his first choice, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration. Gaetz was facing questions about a federal sex trafficking investigation and a House Ethics Committee inquiry into allegations that he paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl.

Bondi is a longtime fixture in Trump's orbit. The attorney general will be one of the most closely watched Cabinet members, given the concern among Democrats that Trump will look to bend the Justice Department to his will.

10 a.m.: John Ratcliffe, CIA Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump's first term, goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The former Texas congressman is in line to lead the nation's premier spy agency, responsible for foreign covert operations and collecting data on U.S. adversaries.

10 a.m.: Marco Rubio, State Department The Florida senator has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering his nomination to be secretary of state. As head of the State Department, job, Rubio would oversee the U.S. foreign service, advise Trump on diplomatic appointments and conduct negotiations with foreign leaders on behalf of the administration.

10 a.m.: Chris Wright, Energy Department

The fossil fuel executive, who has been one of the industry's loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change, appears before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The secretary oversees energy generation and use in the United States as well as the nation's nuclear weapon stockpile. Wright would also join Burgum on the National Energy Council.