Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is meeting with Senate Armed Services Committee Democrats on Monday evening to discuss the confirmation hearing for controversial Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. Democrats have expressed concerns about Hegseth's background and qualifications.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , a Democrat from New York, is convening with Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Democrats on Monday evening to deliberate on the confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth , the controversial nominee for Secretary of Defense. This meeting takes place just hours before the hearing is scheduled to commence. A Senate Democratic source confirmed this last-minute gathering to Fox News Digital.
Schumer and other Democrats have openly expressed their opposition to the former Fox News host in the days preceding the hearing, which marks the first confirmation hearing for any of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees. This meeting, first reported by Axios, follows an appeal from the New York Democrat urging his fellow caucus members to rigorously question Trump's nominees during their upcoming hearings, compelling them to publicly state their positions on contentious aspects of Trump's agenda. According to a Senate Democratic source, Democrats intend to establish a record indicating that they raised concerns about Trump's Cabinet selections early on. In floor remarks on Monday, Schumer stated, 'Unfortunately, Mr. Hegseth’s background is deeply troubling, to put it generously. We have all read the reports about his radical views, his alleged excessive drinking, the allegations about sexual assault, and his failures in the financial stewardship of multiple organizations.' Hegseth has vehemently denied all allegations, including those concerning financial mismanagement, sexual assault, and alcohol consumption. The Secretary of Defense nominee's spokesperson did not immediately provide a statement to Fox News Digital. Democrats on the SASC include Ranking Member Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Angus King of Maine, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Gary Peters of Michigan, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. Reed and Hegseth met last week for a notably brief discussion. After the meeting, the SASC ranking member stated in a press release, 'Today’s meeting did not relieve my concerns about Mr. Hegseth’s lack of qualifications and raised more questions than answers.' 'As with any nominee for this critical position, Mr. Hegseth must undergo the same high-level of scrutiny as prior Secretary of Defense nominees,' he added.
Pete Hegseth Donald Trump Chuck Schumer Senate Armed Services Committee Confirmation Hearing Secretary Of Defense
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