Dems should hold Trump nominees ‘accountable’ at hearings, Schumer says

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is privately urging his members to use upcoming hearings on President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees to hold their “feet to the fire,” according to a Senate Democratic official.

Schumer’s guidance, given to members during a closed-door lunch last Tuesday, comes as the Senate kicks off a marathon run of confirmation hearings this week. All of the early attention will be on Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department. He will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

Schumer told members during the closed-door lunch that they should hold Trump’s nominees “accountable” for his agenda, particularly as it relates to the working class and families, the official said. That will include using the public hearings to get them to detail how the nominees will enact Trump’s campaign promises, the person added, as well as digging into their backgrounds.

Because Democrats are no longer in control of the chamber, they can drag out the confirmation fights but can’t ultimately prevent a nominee from getting confirmed so long as Republicans stick together.