Trump Nominees Enter Senate Confirmation Hearings This Week

Some of president-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees will begin their Senate hearings this week. This marks the next phase of the incoming presidential transition leaders as they work toward confirmation of their roles.

We’re keeping an eye on these hearings for what the new potential leadership would mean for major technology programs and initiatives.

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Nominee Doug Collins

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for VA secretary and former congressman from Georgia’s 9th Congressional District Doug Collins will appear before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. If confirmed, Collins would inherit the agency’s large-scale modernization efforts resulting from the PACT Act and electronic health record overhaul.

Collins would succeed Denis McDonough, who was appointed secretary under the Biden administration, and inherit VA’s ongoing modernization efforts. McDonough told reporters last week the VA has conducted “a world-class [presidential] transition” and has provided president-elect Trump’s team with “detailed briefings and memos on every part of VA.”

“We’ll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA,” Collins said on X. “Together, we’ll make the VA work for those who fought for us. Time to deliver for our veterans and give them the world class care they deserve.”

Defense Department Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth

Former Fox News host and Army National Guard combat veteran Pete Hegseth will appear before the Senate Committee on Armed Services at 9:30 a.m. ET. Hegseth has indicated his desire to streamline technology contracting to stay ahead of key adversaries like China.

“The way we procure weapon systems [is too slow] … how the speed of weapons procurement works, we’re always a decade behind in fighting the last war,” said Hegseth in a recent interview with the Shawn Ryan Show podcast.

If confirmed, Hegseth is anticipated to advocate for domestic manufacturing of military hardware and technology, reducing reliance on foreign firms. He cited cybersecurity threats from Chinese hardware in his interview with Ryan.

“China produces all of our transformers, all our solar, all of our wind [chips and technology], and we don’t even check it for malware or Trojan horses,” said Hegseth. “You can’t even drive our cars without the stuff we need out of China these days.”

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will also hold a hearing Tuesday morning for former governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum, who is Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Nominee Kristi Noem

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will appear before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET. Noem has supported investments in emerging tech, cyber and border security during her tenure as governor to advance state and national security.

“Locally, through our collaboration with the Office of Consumer Protection, we inform, alert, educate and assist our citizens in all matters related to cybersecurity,” said Noem on her website. “But we need to think even bigger. When I first became governor, I said that I wanted to help bring the next big industry to our state. With the threats that our state and our nation face from cybercriminals, I know that cyber research is that industry.”

During her time as Governor, Noem made investments in the tech to fund South Dakota’s next frontier in quantum research and development. In Noem’s proposed budget last year, she proposed a $6 million investment in a new Center for Quantum Information Science & Technology (C-QIST).

“This new field can do exponentially more than a regular computer can do. Imagine a task that it would take regular computers 20 years to accomplish. A quantum computer could handle that task in just a matter of seconds,” Noem said about the investment.

The Senate will also hold hearings for Trump’s picks for attorney general Pam Bondi, for Transportation secretary Sean Duffy, for Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, for secretary of State Marco Rubio, for secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and for Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought.

Other Cabinet Agencies and Impact to AI

Thursday will see hearings for Scott Turner for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Lee Zeldin for the Environmental Protection Agency and Scott Bessent for the Treasury Department. All are bringing the role of artificial intelligence under the new administration into focus.

Trump acknowledged that AI is becoming a “big deal,” he said during a Jan. 7 press conference in Palm Beach, Florida. He also noted its impact to the nation’s energy use. He also noted adversaries’ threats.

“China is already building big, bold electric facilities,” said Trump. “The [American] grids are old.”

Zeldin has said on X he wants to “unleash U.S. energy dominance” and “make America the AI capital of the world.”

The growing demand in AI means electrical demand to power it is also increasing, presenting challenges for physical infrastructure availability, electrical grid reliability and affordable electricity. The bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence outlined what a shared vision for AI looks like in its newest report released at the end of 2024.

The report recommended federal leaders support and increase investments in scientific research that enable energy infrastructure, strengthen efforts to track and project AI data center power use, and ensure that AI and the energy grid are a part of broader discussions about grid modernization and security.

Tracking Future Hearings

Hearings have not yet been scheduled for nominees including Tulsi Gabbard for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Robert Kennedy for the Department of Health and Human Services, Linda McMahon for the Education Department and Kash Patel for FBI, among others.

Both Gabbard and Patel have voiced their visions for federal cybersecurity. Gabbard has previously supported strengthening cybersecurity amid the rise of AI and has voiced concerns about government’s tech and data practices.

“We really need to look here at the larger issue of the serious vulnerabilities that we have within our cybersecurity systems here in the United States,” Gabbard said in a 2015 interview. “We also need to recognize where else these threats are coming from. We have seen recent attacks coming from Russia, from North Korea from Iran and even reports recently that ISIS themselves are creating their own team of hacking jihadists.”

Patel has emphasized needing to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure to counter the growing threat of cyberattacks from foreign adversaries.

During an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show, Patel discussed how outdated legacy systems pose a threat to the American people just as much as physical threats. He added that the National Intelligence Priorities Framework needs to focus on “intel needed to secure the nation.”

“The cyber stuff is in a different lane, but could expose us just as much, if not worse. And I think we’re very, very, very vulnerable to that,” said Patel in the interview. “You need to overhaul the infrastructure around these systems to safeguard us from — what I view as — one of the easier threats our adversaries can deploy against America.”

McMahon has emphasized how tech vocational programs could bolster the future tech workforce and improve the nation’s competitiveness in the evolving digital ecosystem.

In a September opinion piece titled “Workforce Pell Grants will create high-paying jobs for more Americans,” McMahon expressed how these programs will boost the economy and keep a steady workforce.

“Software development bootcamps that teach coding and other skills related to digital infrastructure led to salary increases of $10,000 to $20,000 for almost all participants and increases of more than $30,000 for nearly half,” wrote McMahon. “Yet Pell Grants, the main form of financial assistance for low-income families trying to help boost their child’s career prospects, cannot be used to pay for these programs, leaving behind countless underserved communities. Pretending college is the path for everyone is incredibly outdated.”