Trump nominees Collins and Stefanik face Senate grilling as VA and UN picks; Bessent gets committee vote.

On Tuesday, two more of President Trump's nominees will be questioned by senators, while Treasury nominee Scott Bessent will receive a committee vote.

Rep. Doug Collins, a former Air Force Reserve chaplain, will testify before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in his bid to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. Meanwhile, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as Trump's nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a meeting at 10:15 a.m. to vote on advancing Bessent's nomination for secretary of the Treasury.

The first potential cabinet official to receive a hearing after Trump's first day in office will be Collins. After declaring a "Golden Age of America" in his inaugural address, the president quickly signed over 200 executive orders on Monday to bring his policy vision to fruition. However, it is now up to the Senate to confirm the key officials who will implement Trump's orders.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio was the first of Trump's cabinet nominees to receive congressional approval on Monday with a unanimous vote by the Senate. His confirmation was not unexpected, as many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle praised his strong foreign policy background as a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees.

As a former congressman from Georgia and Navy veteran, Collins is not expected to face a difficult confirmation fight for the position of VA secretary. He will be responsible for overseeing a beleaguered system of healthcare and benefits for the nation's veterans, which has faced numerous issues such as long wait times to see providers, lack of access to community care, inadequate mental health support, and budget shortfalls. These problems have been prevalent in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The VA published a report last month revealing that there were more than 6,400 suicides among veterans in 2022, although this number was slightly higher than in 2021. Despite this, ending veteran suicide remains a top priority for the Biden administration. Additionally, the VA announced in November that veteran homelessness had fallen to the lowest number on record under President Biden, with more than 32,000 former service members still on the streets between January 2023 and January 2024.

The next VA secretary under Trump's leadership is likely to focus on eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and ending Biden-era policies that offer abortions and transgender medical procedures.

Last week, a confirmation hearing for Collins was scheduled, but the proceeding was delayed due to an incomplete background check.

At 10 a.m., the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee will question Collins, while the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider Stefanik's nomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

As the fourth-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, Stefanik is likely to be questioned about her limited foreign policy experience, her strong stance on Israel, and her views on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In her opening remarks, Stefanik will state that Trump believes the U.N. has great potential if it stays true to its mission of promoting international peace and security. Trump has consistently advocated for peace and avoiding new conflicts.

Stefanik is predicted to be confirmed in her U.N. role. Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, has already pledged to support her – they share a strong commitment to Israel. She previously served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, but gained notoriety last year when she grilled university presidents and their policies regarding pro-Gaza protests during Education Committee hearings.

The Senate Finance Committee will decide whether to move forward with Bessent's nomination to head the Treasury Department, who is a Wall Street investor and hedge fund manager.

During his confirmation hearings, Bessent advocated for the extension of the 2017 tax cuts that Trump signed into law in his first term.

"Bessent informed senators that the most pressing economic issue of the day is the need to fix and extend tax cuts, otherwise, the country will face an economic calamity and the financial instability will fall on the middle and working class."

Democrats questioned Bessent about the effects of Trump's tax cuts on the federal deficit and whether they favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle classes. Additionally, they inquired about the potential inflationary impact of Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign imports, but Bessent maintained that they would not cause inflation.

The Treasury nominee from South Carolina highlighted that Trump's policies would prioritize Main Street over Wall Street.

Bessent stated that Wall Street has performed well in recent years, while Main Street has struggled. In his opinion, it is now time for Main Street to recover.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Alec Schemmel and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.