Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Trump’s pick to be director of national intelligence, is expected on Capitol Hill to meet with senators this week, kicking off what will likely be a contentious confirmation process because of past comments the former congresswoman has made.
Gabbard — who served in the House for eight years as a Democrat — has drawn scrutiny for a 2017 trip she made to Syria to visit with Bashar al-Assad, comments she made about the dictator, and remarks she has said about the Russia-Ukraine war that were sympathetic to Moscow, raising questions about her ability to be confirmed in the Senate.
Her first conversations on Capitol Hill come just days after the Assad regime collapsed at the hands of Syrian rebels, driving the longtime dictator out of Damascus and prompting celebrations in Syria — a stunning chain of events that will put a spotlight on Gabbard’s past remarks.
Also this week, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to be Defense secretary, will be back on Capitol Hill to continue meeting with senators, including another huddle with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key lawmaker who has not yet thrown her support behind the former Fox News host.
In the House, lawmakers are set to take up the annual defense bill after leaders unveiled the compromise legislation over the weekend. And conversations surrounding government funding will continue ahead of the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline.
Gabbard on the Hill
Trump selected Gabbard to lead the country’s intelligence apparatus last month, hailing the former Democrat and veteran as a champion of Constitutional rights and securing peace through strength.
Some of Gabbard’s past comments, however, have sparked concerns among lawmakers, raising questions about whether she can muster enough support in the Senate to be confirmed.
Gabbard, for instance, has made remarks about the Russia-Ukraine war that were sympathetic to Moscow and echoed by Russian state media — which praised her nomination. In the Middle East, Gabbard visited Syria in 2017 and said Bashar al-Assad was not an enemy of the U.S. — though she later labeled him a “brutal dictator.”
Gabbard’s posture towards Russia and Syria will likely come up in conversations with senators this week, as Congress reacts to the fall of Damascus after rebel groups drove out the Assad regime. Some Republicans, however, are brushing off any concerns.
“A lot of things have taken place since 2017. Her position, obviously, because of the actions of Assad and what has happened in Syria, has changed,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“She has clearances. She’s able to do her job,” he later added. “And I think she’s 100 percent qualified to be the next director of national intelligence. And so I’m excited about her opportunity, because she is perfect for the position.”
Hegseth to meet with Ernst again
Hegseth is set to continue his meetings with senators this week, which will include another conversation with Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has emerged as a key voice on the nomination process for Pentagon chief.
Ernst, who has not thrown her support behind Hegseth, wrote on X Friday that she and Hegseth were having “constructive conversations,” adding that the former Fox News host “deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing” — a sign that the controversial confirmation process could drag on for several more weeks.
“I just had another substantive conversation with Senator Ernst, I appreciate her sincere commitment to defense policy, and I look forward to meeting with her again next week,” Hegseth said on X Friday.
The additional meeting next week comes as Hegseth faces some skepticism among Republican senators over allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, and for saying that women should not serve in combat roles.
Senate watchers have had their eyes fixed on Ernst, a veteran and sexual assault survivor who has made combating sexual assault in the military a top priority during her tenure on Capitol Hill.
With all Democrats expected to oppose the nomination, Hegseth can only afford to lose three Republicans — making each GOP senator pivotal.
Last week, after a meeting with Hegseth, Fox News’s Bill Hemmer told Ernst during an interview that it sounded like she had not “gotten to a yes,” to which the senator responded: “I think you are right.”
Trump, meanwhile, has re-upped his support for Hegseth amid the tough confirmation battle. During an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker for “Meet the Press” Sunday, the president-elect said “Pete is doing well now,” adding that he still has confidence in the nominee.
“I think he will yeah,” Trump said when asked if Hegseth will be confirmed. “I’ve had a lot of senators call me up saying he’s fantastic.”
House to take up NDAA
The House is scheduled to take up the annual defense bill — known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — this week, a must-pass, traditionally bipartisan measure that could run into increased partisan opposition this year.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) released the compromise NDAA Saturday night, which has a $895.2 billion topline and gives junior enlisted service members a 19.5 percent pay raise.
“This year’s Annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ensures our men and women in uniform have the resources and support they need to defend our great nation,” Johnson said in a statement.
While the NDAA is typically bipartisan — despite running into some opposition among liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans — Democrats may come out against the legislation in droves since it includes a provision prohibiting funds from TRICARE, the health care program for active duty service members, from covering gender-affirming care for transgender children under the age of 18.
Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told Breaking Defense he is unsure how he will vote this week, but said the transgender-related provision “undermined the bipartisan tradition of the bill.”
The House is aiming to move the legislation through regular order: The Rules Committee is scheduled to meet on the bill on Monday, tee-ing up a floor vote later in the week.
That plan, however, could shift if Republicans come out against the legislation as not being conservative enough and vow to tank the procedural rule, forcing GOP leaders to move the measure under the fast-track suspension of the rules — a path that could be murky if a large number of Democrats come out against the legislation. It remains unclear how conservative Republicans will vote on the legislation.
Two-thirds support is needed to clear bills brought under suspension of the rules.
Government funding deadline inches closer
Attention will be fixed on Congressional leadership this week to see if they unveil a plan to avert a government shutdown ahead of the Dec. 20 funding deadline.
Johnson told reporters last week that the plan would “potentially” be released this week, putting the Capitol on standby for the text.
The tease comes as several unanswered questions remain regarding the stopgap, including length and what disaster relief will look like.
Top lawmakers have floated a short-term continuing resolution that runs into March, which would give both chambers more time to pass the 12 appropriations bills, but also run the risk of getting in the way of Trump’s first days. It would also force Johnson to deal with another government funding deadline when he has a zero-vote majority, since two lawmakers are leaving Congress to join the Trump administration.
Johnson, for his part, has brushed aside concerns about dealing with funding during the first 100 days, telling reporters last week “we can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
Disaster relief, meanwhile, is gearing up to be a fierce fight in the House GOP conference, as leadership eyes potentially putting the funds in the end-of-the-year stopgap.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus issued an official position last week that called on Congress to offset any disaster relief appropriated — a reality that Johnson suggested would be a difficult endeavor.
“I understand in principle, we want to do only necessary disaster relief, and it’s a lot of money to spend. And sure, I would like to do pay-fors, but that’s a difficult thing do to,” Johnson told reporters last week. “A pay-for has to be germane to the underlying bill, so we’re working through that, I’m talking with Freedom Caucus, literally I was texting a couple of the guys right now. So we’re working through that, we’ll get it done.”
