Kristi Noem pressed on whether or not she would stand as much as Trump at Senate listening to: Reside

We’re listening to that talks are underway about shifting Monday’s swearing-in ceremony indoors, such are the freezing temperatures set to hit DC, though nothing has but been determined for sure.

For now, right here’s the scene on the bottom.

That’s all people from Kristi Noem within the Senate, with Chairman Paul gavelling proceedings to a detailed.

The session’s key line of questioning got here from Democrats Richard Blumenthal and later Elissa Slotkin, as they pushed Noem on whether or not she, not like Trump, might hold politics out of her decision-making, with out yielding a really particular reply from the candidate.

Right here’s the newest from the president-elect, successfully calling for extra time to deal with the difficulty.

The governor’s Senate affirmation listening to in entrance of Rand Paul’s committee continues to be ongoing and has taken in all the pieces from the mysterious drones over New Jersey to the risks of distant working.

There has additionally been loads of backslapping and compliments flying, with none oilier than this provided by freshman Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who informed Noem that her changing Alejandro Mayorkas could be the “biggest improve in historical past”.

“When Mayorkas was confirmed, each single Democrat voted to substantiate him, and 6 Republicans joined,” Moreno tutted with disgust.

“If we get to the vote, hopefully, chairman, we might do this Monday as a result of we can’t wait one single day with out you being answerable for that division.

“We must always have one hundred pc, 100 senators vote to your affirmation. This would be the litmus take a look at in my thoughts as as to if we have now a Democrat occasion that’s truly critical about doing bipartisan issues like securing this nation.”

Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted seems to be Mike DeWine’s option to succeed the Vice President-elect within the Senate, based on NBC Information.

There shall be a 1pm ET (6pm GMT) press convention with DeWine at which that shall be confirmed.

We’ll deliver you the newest on that because it occurs.

The president-elect himself hasn’t posted something on this but so seems to have been scooped by his personal son.

This was the governor’s huge line a short time earlier, given in response to a lay-up from Missouri Republican Josh Hawley.

Hawley referred to as the incumbent secretary of Homeland Safety Alejandro Mayorkas a “shame” and referred to as Noem’s honesty “refreshing”.

The identical alternate additionally noticed her again the return of the “Stay in Mexico” coverage.

New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim asks the governor who will actually be answerable for border safety underneath the incoming administration.

She solutions that Trump will, on condition that it’s a nationwide safety concern.

Kim then raises conflicting feedback made on the difficulty by the president-elect and by his border czar Tom Homan, every indicating that they are going to be taking cost, prompting the senator to say he’s involved that the Division of Homeland Safety is not going to be “empowered” and suggest that confusion might reign.

Joe Biden is claiming to acknowledge a brand new constitutional modification to enshrine protections in opposition to intercourse discrimination, but it surely’s unclear whether or not the president intends to take any motion to publish it earlier than Donald Trump enters workplace.

Biden’s assertion is only a assertion and never an order, proclamation or different presidential motion and it carries completely zero authorized power, as abortion rights advocates and LGBT+ civil rights teams demand pressing protections with simply days earlier than Trump returns to the White Home.

A senior administration official refused to say whether or not there had been any communications with the Nationwide Archivist’s workplace throughout a briefing early on Monday and repeatedly demurred when requested in regards to the that means or impact of the president’s assertion.

The Equal Rights Modification was handed by Congress within the Nineteen Seventies and regularly, over a long time, accepted by sufficient states to make it the twenty eighth Modification. However that ratification effort blew previous the deadline, so it was by no means formally printed.

Alex Woodward has this report.

Again on the Senate, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal has been pushing the South Dakota Governor, who could be accountable for FEMA if she had been made Homeland Safety Secretary, to say she would stand as much as the president-elect if he threatened to withhold federal catastrophe aid funding from blue states, as he has typically executed up to now.

She is cautious to say solely that she would observe the rule of legislation in such a scenario however provides that “management has penalties”, ostensibly a dig at Governor Gavin Newsom’s liberal California.