The Senate has scheduled a crucial procedural vote for Thursday afternoon to advance the nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. In order to break a Democratic-led filibuster, a simple majority of senators is required. While some Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, have not yet committed, no Republicans have expressed opposition to the nomination. GOP leaders are optimistic about Hegseth's confirmation.
The procedural vote is set to take place as the second vote in the Thursday 1:30 p.m. series. If the Senate moves forward with the nomination, there will be 30 hours allocated for debate before the final confirmation vote. Without an agreement for a quicker vote, the confirmation process could extend into Friday night.
Additionally, the Senate is expected to conduct both a procedural vote and a confirmation vote on John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA before addressing the Hegseth nomination. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has lined up Kristi Noem's nomination for Homeland Security and Scott Bessent for Treasury after the Hegseth debate. Any partisan disagreements over these nominations could potentially prolong the Senate session into the weekend to finalize the selections.
