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On Day 3, a Theme: The Gap Between Trump and His Nominees A Day for Hearings, With a Charge of Russia Trying to ‘Break’ NATO
(35 minutes later)
■ A third day of confirmation hearings is starting on Capitol Hill, with one emerging theme: Many of the nominees of President-elect Donald J. Trump have serious disagreements with him on policy.■ A third day of confirmation hearings is starting on Capitol Hill, with one emerging theme: Many of the nominees of President-elect Donald J. Trump have serious disagreements with him on policy.
■ Mr. Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, the retired general, James N. Mattis, his choice for housing secretary, Ben Carson, and his selection to run the C.I.A., Representative Mike Pompeo, will be grilled starting this morning. ■ Mr. Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, James N. Mattis, the retired general, and Mr. Trump’s choices for housing secretary, Ben Carson, and for the C.I.A., Representative Mike Pompeo, will be grilled starting this morning.
Here is what they’ll face. ■ Conspiratorial minds will wonder. The lights in the hearing room went out just minutes after Mr. Pompeo’s hearing started.
In the first minutes of the hearing, Mr. Mattis put space between himself and Mr. Trump, who has embraced a more affectionate relationship with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. Mr. Putin, Mr. Mattis said, “is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance,” in a reference to NATO. He said the United States and its NATO allies must take necessary steps to strengthen the alliance.In the first minutes of the hearing, Mr. Mattis put space between himself and Mr. Trump, who has embraced a more affectionate relationship with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. Mr. Putin, Mr. Mattis said, “is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance,” in a reference to NATO. He said the United States and its NATO allies must take necessary steps to strengthen the alliance.
His route to confirmation, which is expected, is more complex than other nominees. Mr. Mattis left active duty in 2013, and federal law mandates a seven-year waiting period before a retired general can serve as defense secretary. Mr. Mattis must obtain a congressional waiver to take the position. His route to confirmation, which is expected, is more complex than other nominees. Mr. Mattis left active duty in 2013, and federal law mandates a seven-year waiting period before a retired general is allowed to serve as defense secretary. Mr. Mattis must obtain a congressional waiver to take the position.
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and the committee chairman, strongly encouraged passing the waiver, and that is likely. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and the committee chairman, strongly encouraged passing the waiver, which is expected.
Before Mr. Mattis even began to answer questions, Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, started talking about the language of Founding Fathers. Before Mr. Mattis even began to answer questions, Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, started talking about the language of founding fathers.
“Many believe,” Senator Reed said, “that you’ll be the saucer that cools the coffee.”“Many believe,” Senator Reed said, “that you’ll be the saucer that cools the coffee.”
It was a reference to the historical tale of a debate between Thomas Jefferson and George Washington that has something to do with the Senate serving as a cooling balm (saucer) on whatever hot stuff (coffee) the House comes up with. It was a reference to the historical tale of a debate between Thomas Jefferson and George Washington that has something to do with the Senate serving as a cooling balm — the saucer — on whatever hot stuff — the coffee — the House comes up with.
But at a time when Mr. Trump has staked out national security positions that often fall outside the norm of conventional American foreign policy norms, Mr. Reed — and a number of lawmakers — have made it clear that they expect Mr. Mattis to work to cool off some of Mr. Trump’s heated rhetoric. But at a time when Mr. Trump has staked out national security positions that often fall outside the norm of conventional American foreign policy, Mr. Reed and a number of other lawmakers have made it clear that they expect Mr. Mattis to work to cool off some of Mr. Trump’s heated rhetoric.
Mr. Carson is among the more high-profile nominees, so perhaps it was fitting that he had a validator like Omarosa Manigault, who gained famed on Mr. Trump’s reality show, “The Apprentice.” She was seated in the front row with some of Mr. Carson’s family members. Mr. Carson used his opening statement to highlight his biography, speaking of life in an impoverished section of Detroit as the son of a single mother with a third-grade education.
Sometimes, the résumés of presidential nominees leave few questions about how they might govern at their chosen agencies. And sometimes, Mr. Carson, a celebrated neurosurgeon who became a conservative hero and presidential candidate, is nominated to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development. But Mr. Carson held close to the conservative orthodoxy that has defined his political life, saying that while efficient public assistance is acceptable, he fears the specter of “generation after generation of people living in dependent situations.”
Though Mr. Carson has no experience overseeing a sprawling federal bureaucracy, and few professional links to the department’s mission, he would enter public service with an uncommon background. Raised in an impoverished Detroit neighborhood — by a mother who worked several jobs and strained to feed her sons, often with food stamps — Mr. Carson has nonetheless come to embrace the standard conservative orthodoxy suggesting welfare breeds dangerous dependency. “I do believe that government can play a very important role,” he said, adding that “some have distorted what I’ve said about government.”
Mr. Carson will highlight his hardscrabble roots to present himself as a rare leader who can “understand housing insecurity,” according to prepared remarks Mr. Trump’s transition team provided. He will also remind lawmakers of the “strong connection between housing and health.” He preached a more “holistic” approach — while avoiding specifics, at least initially — saying he viewed people as “human capital” worthy of investment.
Mr. Carson plans to speak to importance of “efficient” federal assistance, according to the prepared text. “Simply put, it’s difficult for a child to learn at school if he or she doesn’t have an adequate place to live. In these situations, government can and should help,” Mr. Carson will say. “However, I believe we need to ensure that the help we provide families is efficient and effective. It cannot, and should not, trap people in an intergenerational cycle of poverty.” When Americans consider HUD’s mission, Mr. Carson said, “Most people think putting roofs over the heads of poor people. But it has the ability to be so much more than that.”
Mr. Carson is among the more well-known nominees, so perhaps it was fitting that he had a validator like Omarosa Manigault, who gained fame on Mr. Trump’s reality show, “The Apprentice.” She was seated in the front row with some of Mr. Carson’s family members.
About 10 minutes into Mr. Pompeo’s confirmation hearing, the hearing room at the Hart Senate Office fell into semidarkness, lit only by emergency lighting.
If anyone needed more grist for conspiracy theories this week, the power outage was perfectly timed to provide it — it took place as Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, raised the issue of Russian cyber attacks for the first time in the hearing.
To be clear: There was absolutely no evidence that the power cut was at all related to the hearing. But given the mood in Washington these days, one can never tell how random events will be construed.
In any case, Mr. Warner continued speaking for a few minutes after the electricity went out and his microphone cut off. He said he was committed to conducting a review of the intelligence assessment that Russia had used a campaign of cyberattacks to undermine American democracy and promote the candidacy of Mr. Trump.
The hearing went into recess until power was restored.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the intelligence community amid revelations of Russian interference in the presidential election. Now he gets to install a team of his own.Mr. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the intelligence community amid revelations of Russian interference in the presidential election. Now he gets to install a team of his own.
His choice to run the Central Intelligence Agency, Mr. Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, is scheduled to sit for his hearing on Thursday. Known as a bare-knuckled partisan, Mr. Pompeo will have to balance winning over the C.I.A. while keeping the confidence of the Trump White House. Mr. Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, is known as a bare-knuckled partisan who, should he be confirmed, would have to balance winning over the C.I.A. while keeping the confidence of the Trump White House.
His confirmation hearing is the first test. Expect plenty of questions about cyberattacks and the election.His confirmation hearing is the first test. Expect plenty of questions about cyberattacks and the election.
Mr. Trump’s aides will be watching for signs Mr. Pompeo can be trusted. Democrats will look to draw out any differences between the nominee and Mr. Trump. Mr. Pompeo should expect to be asked to summarize his views on mass surveillance (good), Russia (bad) and waterboarding (not illegal, and not torture). Mr. Trump’s aides will be watching for signs that Mr. Pompeo can be trusted. Democrats will look to draw out any differences between the nominee and Mr. Trump. Mr. Pompeo should expect to be asked to summarize his views on mass surveillance (good), Russia (bad) and waterboarding (not illegal, and not torture).
Then there is the C.I.A. Michael V. Hayden, a former director of both the C.I.A. and the National Security Agency, said that officials there, wary of the Trump team, would hope to hear the message, “I’m going to protect you from these guys.” Then there is the C.I.A. that Michael V. Hayden, a former director of both the C.I.A. and the National Security Agency, said that officials wary of the Trump team would hope to hear the message: “I’m going to protect you from these guys.”
“Every television set in Langley,” he said referring to the Virginia headquarters of the C.I.A., “is going to be on for that hearing.”“Every television set in Langley,” he said referring to the Virginia headquarters of the C.I.A., “is going to be on for that hearing.”