Three of President Donald Trump鈥檚 cabinet picks prepared to face skepticism and intense grilling from Democratic senators during their confirmation hearings Thursday.
What we鈥檙e following:
1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 second hearing: Kennedy will have the second of two confirmation hearings for his Health and Human Services Secretary nomination. He a day after .
2. Tulsi Gabbard for DNI Secretary: Gabbard, Trump鈥檚 pick to be director of national intelligence, is expected to face tough questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee over and a 2017 visit with .
3. Kash Patel鈥檚 hearing: , Trump鈥檚 pick to lead the FBI, from Democratic senators Thursday about his loyalty to the president and stated desire to overhaul the bureau.
Here's the latest:
Nominee Russ Vought advances for budget director despite uproar over funding freeze
Senate Budget Committee Republicans advanced Vought鈥檚 confirmation over the objections of Democrats who call him a 鈥渢hreat to democracy.鈥
Committee Republicans voted 11-0 in a rare session off the Senate floor after Democrats boycotted the meeting.
鈥淗e is a threat to our democracy,鈥 said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the committee鈥檚 top Democrat. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to say that is not okay.鈥
Vought was a chief architect of Project 2025 and instrumental in the White House鈥檚 federal funding freeze this week, which sparked panic in communities across the country. Advocacy organizations challenged the freeze and the White House quickly rescinded it.
Cassidy remains deeply skeptical on what Kennedy would do for vaccinations
The Louisiana Republican approached Kennedy at the conclusion of the hearing for a brief handshake and exchange, after once again expressing deep skepticism over whether Kennedy would promote vaccinations through the Department of Health and Human Services.
Cassidy said that his experience as a physician has showed how imperative it was to stress the life-saving powers of vaccines.
Intel committee closes public hearing with Gabbard, next is classified session
The Senate Intelligence Committee has adjourned the confirmation hearing for Gabbard after nearly three hours.
Next up is a classified, closed session with the nominee, where members are able to question her more in depth on issues that are sensitive and could not be broached in a public hearing.
Sen. Cotton, the chair, ended the public hearing by saying he hopes to quickly move to a committee vote on Gabbard. Some members have raised concerns about whether the vote will happen in public or behind closed doors. Some Trump supporters want it to be public so that any Republicans who vote against her will be immediately identified.
A heated exchange between RFK Jr. and Bernie Sanders
Kennedy鈥檚 hearing is ending after a heated exchange with Sen. Bernie Sanders.
As the Vermont Independent pressed Trump鈥檚 nominee on his views on vaccines, Kennedy shot back by saying that members of Congress, including Sanders, were receiving money from pharmaceutical companies.
The line drew cheers and applause from Kennedy鈥檚 supporters in the room.
Sanders wasn鈥檛 having any of it. He retorted that he doesn鈥檛 take money from organizations or groups that represent the drug-making industry.
Booker to Patel: 鈥榃hat are you hiding?鈥
Democrats are scrutinizing Patel鈥檚 appearance before a Washington grand jury investigating Trump鈥檚 hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after Patel received immunity for his testimony.
Patel, who has said he was present as of materials, was granted a limited form of immunity after invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an earlier grand jury appearance.
Sen. Cory Booker pushed Patel to explain what he told the grand jury, but Patel told the Democrat to get a transcript of the secret proceeding instead.
Booker replied: 鈥淵ou are free to tell people. What are you hiding from Congress?鈥
A judge dismissed the classified documents case against Trump last year, ruling that special counsel Jack Smith was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.
Kennedy won鈥檛 identify the public health scientists he said could be fired
Kennedy was pressed about recent statements he鈥檚 made threatening to fire staffers at the 春色直播 Institutes of Health and other public health agencies.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks asked Kennedy if there is a 鈥渨atch list鈥 of scientists who could be targeted for termination.
鈥淣ot that I know of,鈥 Kennedy responded.
Alsobrooks is a Democrat representing Maryland, where NIH is headquartered. When she asked which federal scientists should be replaced, Kennedy said: 鈥渢he ones who are corrupt.鈥
And for the second day in a row, Kennedy falsely accused NIH of quashing research into multiple causes of Alzheimer鈥檚. The NIH鈥檚 $3.8 billion budget for Alzheimer鈥檚 and similar dementias funds researching a range of factors that may contribute to the disease.
Dems question whether Gabbard will push back if Trump asks her to break the law
In a round of follow up questions, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden asked Gabbard if she would be willing to refuse an illegal order from Trump, specifically regarding the role of inspector generals who the president fired in his first week back in office.
鈥淚f President Trump orders you to withhold appropriated funds from the inspector general, would you refuse that illegal order?鈥 Wyden asked.
Her response: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe for a second President Trump would ask me to do something that would break the law.鈥
Gabbard retreats from her criticism of Soleimani killing
When Trump approved a 2020 drone strike that killed , Gabbard at the time denounced it, saying there was no justification.
Soleimani had been an ally of Syria鈥檚 Assad and a top player in attacks by Iran and its allies.
Asked by New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gilliland whether she still opposed the strike, Gabbard indicated no. It turned out that 鈥淧resident Trump was right,鈥 and there was no escalation in the Middle East as she had feared, Gabbard said.
Gabbard didn鈥檛 directly answer a related question on whether she agreed with from his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and an aid who have been targeted for assassination by Iran because of that strike.
鈥楳r. Snowden is watching these proceedings鈥
GOP Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said Snowden has been watching Gabbard鈥檚 confirmation hearing and that he hoped she could disavow on national television what he did.
Young referenced a social media post Snowden made earlier Thursday saying Gabbard 鈥渨ill be required to disown all prior support for whistleblowers as a condition of confirmation today.鈥
鈥淚 encourage her to do so. Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff. In D.C., that鈥檚 what passes for the pledge of allegiance,鈥 Snowden wrote in the X post.
Young said that this may be the 鈥渞are instance鈥 where he agrees with Snowden and that the nominee should publicly distance herself from him despite her previous comments calling him 鈥渂rave.鈥
She has refused to say Snowden was a traitor.
GOP senators push back on 鈥榗onspiracy theorist鈥 label of Patel
Republican senators have repeatedly dismissed characterizations that Patel is a conspiracy theorist, extremist or sycophant, frequently citing longstanding grievances held by the GOP base against federal investigators.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., invoked the 鈥淩ussia collusion hoax鈥 multiple times in his remarks. He then asked Patel to promise to only go after 鈥渂ad鈥 actors in the agency.
鈥淒on鈥檛 go over there and burn that place down. Go over there and make it better. Can you commit to us today, that you will do that?鈥 Kennedy said.
Patel promised to make the agency 鈥渢he premier law enforcement agency in the world.鈥
Patel sidesteps 2020 election questions
He acknowledged that President Joe Biden was certified as president of the United States but did not confirm whether he believed Biden had directly won that election when asked directly by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii.
鈥淧resident Biden鈥檚 election was certified, he was sworn in, and he served as the president of the United States,鈥 Patel replied when asked by Hirono whether Biden had won the 2020 presidential election.
It is a similar comment made by others nominated by Trump, who never conceded the 2020 election and worked to overturn his election loss in its aftermath.
Patel pledges to discipline FBI members involved in what GOP sees as overreach
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley pressed Patel on a range of conservative grievances regarding the FBI鈥檚 investigations, including of potential extremists in Catholic faith communities, people disrupting local public forums over education curricula and COVID lockdown policies.
鈥淥nce again, I can鈥檛 imagine I could have ever thought this would happen to the United States of America,鈥 Hawley said.
鈥淲hen you find out who was involved in this policy within the FBI, who agreed with it, who implemented it, who encouraged it, when you find out that, Mr. Patel, will you do an internal investigation?鈥
鈥淎bsolutely, senator,鈥 Patel said, asserting that he would also discipline any agents involved and work to prevent such investigations from happening again.
Senator credits Kennedy for his family鈥檚 decision to not vaccinate granddaughter
Two Republican senators used the word 鈥榩incushion鈥 to describe kids who get full slates of recommended vaccines.
One even praised Kennedy for raising questions about the number of vaccines children get.
鈥淚鈥檒l have my first granddaughter in the next couple of weeks, and my son and his wife have done their research about vaccines and she鈥檚 not going to be a pincushion. We鈥檙e not going to allow that to happen. You brought that up,鈥 said Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
鈥淎s a father of six, when when my kids come out from getting their vaccines, they look like a freaking pincushion,鈥 added Mullin.
Voices rise as Gabbard refuses to say whether leaker Snowden was a 鈥榯raitor鈥
Gabbard is dodging questions 鈥 from both parties 鈥 on Snowden, providing some of the most dramatic moments in her hearing.
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said Snowden placed lives and U.S. programs in danger, and asked Gabbard twice, point blank: 鈥淲as Snowden a traitor?鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 focused on the future,鈥 Gabbard said, and turned to how she鈥檇 prevent leaks.
Colorado Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet pressed her on the same question, his volume rising each time he asked.
Bennet finally turned to lamenting Gabbard鈥檚 nomination. Do we have to have a candidate 鈥渨ho can鈥檛 answer whether Snowden was a traitor five times today?鈥 he asked.
A mother鈥檚 anguish in the RFK Jr. hearing
Sen. Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat, said questioning whether Kennedy has really changed his anti-vaccine views isn鈥檛 political 鈥 it has real-world ramifications.
Hassan related the anguish of wondering if she did something during her pregnancy to cause the severe cerebral palsy in her now 36-year-old son.
She said Kennedy鈥檚 refusal to accept that a 1990s report linking measles vaccine to autism has now been thoroughly discredited is stumping the search for the real causes of autism and other disorders like her son鈥檚.
鈥淗e is re-litigating and churning settled science so we can鈥檛 go forward and find out what the cause of autism is and treat these kids and help these families,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t freezes us in place.鈥
Kennedy urges caution with anti-obesity drugs
He said the new class of weight-loss medications such as Wegovy are 鈥渕iracle drugs.鈥
But he said they should not be the first, front-line treatment for 6-year-old children, and that prescriptions should include recommendations for diet and exercise.
That aligns with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommend treating children with lifestyle interventions, diet and exercise before considering medications for kids as young as 12 and surgery for those as young as 13. Similar guidelines apply to adults.
Patel says there will be 鈥榥o politicization at the FBI鈥
Pressed about whether the FBI under his leadership would remain independent from the White House, Patel said investigations will only be launched when there鈥檚 a 鈥渇actual, articulable legal basis to do so.鈥
Asked by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons about whether he would use the agency to go after Trump鈥檚 political enemies, Patel suggested he would 鈥渘ot go backward鈥 and vowed there will be 鈥渘o politicization at the FBI.鈥
鈥淭here will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as the FBI director,鈥 he said.
The line of questioning cuts to the heart of Democrats鈥 concerns over Patel鈥檚 nomination. Trump repeatedly suggested while campaigning that he would use the justice system to exact revenge on people involved in the criminal cases against him.
RFK Jr. cites England鈥檚 Cass report on gender-affirming care
Kennedy cited the Cass report when asked about gender-affirming care for young people by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.
The report commissioned by England鈥檚 春色直播 Health Service and led by retired pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass found 鈥渘o good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress.鈥
England鈥檚 health service stopped prescribing puberty blockers to children with gender dysphoria outside of a research setting, following recommendations from Cass鈥 interim report.
In the United States, the Cass report has been critiqued by medical experts for relying on flawed reviews of evidence. Major medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics support access to such care.
Gabbard pressed on supportive statements of Putin
Gabbard has often made comments in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 stands on his invasion of Ukraine. New Mexico Democratic Martin Heinrich pressed her on that in a brief exchange.
鈥淲ho鈥檚 responsible for the war in Ukraine?鈥 Heinrich asked.
鈥淧utin started the war in Ukraine,鈥 Gabbard answered.
Republican Sen. Jerry Moran asked Gabbard if Russia would 鈥済et a pass鈥 under her.
Gabbard said she was offended by the question.
鈥淣o country, group or individual will get a pass,鈥 she said.
Gabbard refu
ses to disavow her controversial meeting with Syria鈥檚 Assad
Sen. Martin Heinrich questioned Gabbard to reveal more information about her two-hour meeting with Assad, noting that few details about their conversation have ever emerged.
Gabbard said she used the opportunity to press Assad on his human rights record.
鈥淚 asked him tough questions about his own regime鈥檚 actions,鈥 Gabbard said.
She refused to disavow her trip, saying that leaders, whether in Congress or the executive branch, could stand to travel to places and meet with all kinds of people for the purpose of learning and listening.
She also denied any knowledge that the two Arab-American brothers who arranged the trip were linked to a right-wing Syrian political party. And she insisted that she paid for her own travel, although records she submitted to Congress show she only reimbursed the men for travel after it became a matter of public controversy.
Kennedy won鈥檛 commit to keeping abortion pill available
Sen. Tammy Baldwin is pressing Kennedy about his position on mifepristone, the pill that accounts for 6 out of 10 abortions in the U.S.
The pill was approved in 2000 and scientists have repeatedly confirmed its safety and effectiveness. Less than a fraction of 1% of women experience serious side effects requiring emergency care.
Kennedy said Trump hasn鈥檛 decided what he will do about the drug, and 鈥淚 will implement his policy.鈥
Baldwin pointed to voluminous research supporting the drug鈥檚 use without more restrictions.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e been talking about show me the data, show me the studies,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou would have that policy regardless of what the studies say?鈥
Kennedy hear
ing lays bare tension in GOP on vaccines, science
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, animatedly chided his colleagues for scrutinizing Kennedy鈥檚 skeptical stances on vaccinations.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 question science?鈥 Mullin said.
Cassidy said his experience as a physician has shown him that vaccines save lives. Throughout the hearing, he listened intently as Democrats continued to press Kennedy on his past statements on vaccines.
Gabbard is asked about a reported meeting with Hezbollah leaders
Under questioning from Republican Susan Collins from Maine, Gabbard pushed back on reports that U.S. intelligence picked up chatter that she had met with leaders of the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Collins asked if Gabbard had knowingly ever met with any members of the terrorist group.
鈥淣o and it is an absurd accusation,鈥 Gabbard replied.
The intelligence chatter, first reported by the New York Times this week, came during a Jan. 2017 trip when Gabbard met with then Syrian President Bashar Assad. She also transited through Lebanon on her way into and out of Syria 鈥 a part of the trip that has drawn scrutiny from journalists and members of the committee.
Patel says critics are misleadingly using his words against him
He鈥檚 accusing them of taking controversial statements he has made out of context.
Democrats are repeatedly highlighting Patel鈥檚 statements suggesting the Jan. 6 rioters were unfairly prosecuted and that the bureau helped instigate the violence carried out by the mob, among other things.
鈥淎nyone that thinks my 16 years of service isn鈥檛 exemplary of how I would proceed if confirmed ... is intentionally putting false information into the public,鈥 Patel said.
His remarks followed a forceful speech from Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who said Patel鈥檚 own words are 鈥渨arnings鈥 that should not be overlooked.
鈥淭here is an unfathomable difference between a seeming facade being constructed around this nominee here today, and what he has actually done and said in real life when left to his own devices,鈥 Whitehouse said.
Democratic senator questions RFK on social media post about 9/11
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, asked why Kennedy said that he would 鈥渘ot take sides鈥 as conspiracy theorists question what happened during the attacks.
Kennedy responded that he had been taught from a young age to question authority.
鈥淢y father told me when I was 13 years old, he said, 鈥楶eople in authority lie,鈥欌 Kennedy said.
GOP holdout grills Gabbard on her prior support of Snowden
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is one of the few Republicans who have not yet supported the nominee. She asked if Gabbard would support or recommend clemency to Snowden if she were confirmed as director of national intelligence.
Gabbard, who earlier said that Snowden exposed 鈥渆gregious illegal and unconstitutional programs,鈥 said she would not take actions to advocate for anything regarding Snowden.
Gabbard dodges answering whether she still thinks leaker Edward Snowden was 鈥榖rave鈥
Gabbard repeatedly refused to answer the question from Warner, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee.
He pressed her on the point, noting that she sponsored legislation while in Congress to end prosecution of Snowden for leaking classified security information.
Gabbard answered that 鈥淪nowden broke the law鈥 and that she didn鈥檛 support 鈥渁ll鈥 of his release of information. That said, she added, Snowden exposed 鈥渆gregious illegal and unconstitutional programs.鈥
Gabbard says she鈥檚 nobody鈥檚 鈥榩uppet鈥
Gabbard issued a stark warning to the American public, trying to get ahead of aggressive questioning on her past comments and actions related to Russia and Syria.
鈥淵ou may hear lies and smears in this hearing that will challenge my loyalty to and my love for our country,鈥 Gabbard said. 鈥淭hose who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience and the Constitution of the United States.鈥
She said critics are 鈥渁ccusing me of being Trump鈥檚 puppet, Putin鈥檚 puppet, Assad鈥檚 puppet, a guru鈥檚 puppet, Modi鈥檚 puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters.鈥
What 鈥渢ruly unsettles鈥 political opponents is her refusal to be 鈥渢heir puppet.鈥
Gabbard has scathing comments about US intelligence community
鈥淔aulty, inadequate, or weaponized intelligence have led to costly failures and the undermining of our national security,鈥 Gabbard told senators.
She cited the intelligence that led to the invasion of Iraq, and what she said was the intelligence community鈥檚 mishandling of intelligence on Hunter Biden.
鈥淭he bottom line is this must end.鈥
She called Trump鈥檚 election 鈥渁 clear mandate from the American people to break this cycle of failure and the weaponization and politicization of the intelligence community and begin to restore trust in those who鈥檝e been charged with the critical task of securing our nation.鈥
Homeland Security freezes funding for immigration-related nonprofits
The Department of Homeland Security is pausing federal money for nonprofits providing immigration services.
Secretary Kristi Noem鈥檚 memo says she鈥檚 concerned the grants may be 鈥渆ncouraging or inducing illegal immigration.鈥 Grants that 鈥渢ouch in any way on immigration鈥 are now on hold, effective immediately, pending a review.
Many such grants help communities near the U.S.-Mexico border that are dealing with recent arrivals. Advocates say they provide vital services; critics say they essentially facilitate illegal immigration.
Cities including New York, Denver and Chicago also receive grant funding to help deal with immigration influxes.
The order 鈥 signed Tuesday 鈥 didn鈥檛 say whether their funding was affected.
Kennedy also refuses to reject discredited theory that vaccines cause autism
Cassidy pressed Kennedy to 鈥渦nequivocally鈥 say that measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism.
Kennedy refused, calling for more research on the issue, despite the theory being long discredited.
鈥淭he data has been there for a long time,鈥 Cassidy said.
