Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cleared their first hurdle on Tuesday to grow to be the subsequent director of nationwide intelligence and well being secretary, respectively. This comes after two Senate committees moved to advance their nominations to the ground amid rising strain from MAGA world.
The unqualified, controversial nominees narrowly gained the assist of a pair of Senate committees. Whereas neither Gabbard nor Kennedy gained any votes from Democrats, they had been in a position to persuade one-time skeptical Republicans who waited till the eleventh hour to make their vote alternative identified.
Sen. Susan Collins
In Gabbard’s case, she needed to woo Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, and Todd Younger of Louisiana. One way or the other she succeeded, as a result of, on Monday, Collins introduced she would assist Gabbard’s bid to guide the U.S. intelligence equipment, a transfer which provided a major enhance to the previous Hawaii consultant’s prospects. Early Tuesday, Younger adopted swimsuit by way of a press release to X. The submit got here mere hours earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee is ready to vote on Gabbard’s nomination.
“American intelligence officers around the globe deserve our respect and support. I appreciate Tulsi Gabbard’s engagement with me on a variety of issues to ensure that our intelligence professionals will be supported and policymakers will receive unbiased information under her leadership,” Younger wrote.
Notably, the assertion from Younger got here after he confronted a wave of political strain from Trump allies to again Gabbard. That included repeated pestering by mega-billionaire, and now authorities worker, Elon Musk, who known as Younger a “deep state puppet” on social media earlier than deleting the submit and saying he stood “corrected.”
It’s doable the strain from Trump’s “first buddy” obtained to Younger. Gabbard’s allies expressed optimism that Musk’s pivot served as an indication that Younger would now again Gabbard.
If something, Collins’ backing was extra shocking. Her yea vote for Gabbard comes roughly one week after she, together with two different Republicans, voted towards Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on the Senate ground.
That, coupled with the truth that a single Republican vote would’ve been sufficient to forestall Gabbard’s nomination from committee approval made some hopefuls imagine that Collins would possibly buck her social gathering as soon as once more—or that Younger would show some power of character. However what else ought to we count on from at this time’s GOP?
Then once more, it’s considerably stunning that Gabbard made it this far to start with. Given her unconventional views on Russia and Syria, lawmakers on each side of the aisle anticipated Gabbard to have a troublesome affirmation listening to. And throughout the open listening to, a number of Republicans, together with each Collins and Younger, regarded visibly annoyed when Gabbard refused to name whistleblower Edward Snowden a traitor.
Additionally on Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee voted alongside social gathering strains, 14-13, to advance the nomination of Kennedy to grow to be the subsequent well being secretary.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s option to be secretary of Well being and Human Companies, seems earlier than the Senate Finance Committee for his affirmation listening to, on the Capitol, Jan. 29, 2025.
It’s one thing of a miracle that Kennedy overcame opposition from members of each events concerning his views on abortion, meals regulation, and vaccines, in addition to his unusual and allegedly “predatory” private habits.
If something, Kennedy has Republican Sen. Invoice Cassidy, of Louisiana, to thank for making it to the subsequent spherical of the affirmation course of. Republicans solely have another member on the committee than Democrats, which means Cassidy basically had the ability to resolve how the vote went.
Cassidy, a former doctor who was beforehand on the fence about Kennedy, introduced in a social media submit that he’d had “intense conversations with Bobby” and was satisfied to vote in favor of his nomination.
This, in fact, is a pivot from the place the senator was only a week in the past. On the time, Cassidy stated he had been “struggling” with Kennedy’s nomination as a result of he feared that Kennedy, who had promoted vaccine conspiracy theories for years, may undermine religion in vaccines.
Whereas it’s doable Cassidy may nonetheless vote no towards Kennedy on the Senate ground, he’s not indicated that he would achieve this. Now that he’s reached the total Senate, three different Republicans would want to oppose him to tank his affirmation, assuming all Democrats oppose him. That may be simpler stated than accomplished, although: No Republican senators have stated thus far that they plan to vote towards Kennedy.
Senate Republicans have pushed to rapidly affirm Trump’s Cupboard nominees and administration officers. Simply have a look at Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who each sailed to affirmation. Then there’s embattled Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, who eked by with a 51-50 vote on his affirmation.
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