'A lot of bureaucracy': Trump team and Senate GOP at odds over nominee hiccup

08 January

Although Donald Trump announced many of his Cabinet nominees not even one month after his victory over Kamala Harris, many of them have yet to be confirmed — due to incomplete paperwork and FBI background check refusals — less than two weeks before the president-elect is set to take office.

Politico reports this hiccup has caused tension between Senate Republicans and Trump's MAGA team.

One Seante GOP aide told the news outlet, "If a nominee hasn’t submitted their paperwork in a timely fashion, there’s only so much the Senate can do. The Senate is doing everything we can to move forward, but there’s just a lot of bureaucracy."

Politico reports:

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said a planned hearing for Trump’s attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, could be pushed back due to a delayed FBI background check. The Senate Intelligence Committee has not yet received a pre-hearing questionnaire from Director of National Intelligence designee Tulsi Gabbard, according to a person familiar with her confirmation, complicating plans to hold her hearing next week. (A spokesperson for Gabbard, Alexa Henning, said she is “working in lockstep” with the panel.)

Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said much the same Tuesday about Education secretary pick Linda McMahon: 'It really depends on us getting paperwork,' Cassidy said about the timeline. 'Right now the hold seems to be on their side.'

Despite the fact even some Republican lawmakers believe the Trump nominees should comply with committee rules, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) "has privately told Republicans that it’s up to individual committee chairs to decide how to handle their nominees — to stick with the established process or press ahead without full documentation."

Politico's full report is available here.

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