Noem faces senators Friday in bid to lead Homeland Security

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) will cap off a packed week of confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees when she appears Friday on Capitol Hill, just days before the inauguration kicks off Trump’s second term in the Oval Office. 

Noem, who’s on tap to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), makes for a dozen Cabinet hopefuls questioned by senators this week on their path to joining the administration, including Trump’s picks to lead the State, Justice and Defense departments. 

Next week, the Senate is expected to hear from several more would-be members of the president’s Cabinet, including his nominees for United Nations ambassador, Agriculture secretary and head of Veterans Affairs. 

Here’s what to know about the scheduled hearings ahead:

Friday

Kristi Noem

Noem will go before senators at 9 a.m. Friday as Trump’s pick to helm the DHS. Her hearing was initially slated for Wednesday.

Noem, who has led the Mount Rushmore State since 2019, was floated as a possible running mate for Trump last year, but her prospects for the spot appeared to fizzle out after the release of her autobiography, in which she detailed killing a dog she described as untrainable.

Despite the controversy, Trump has tapped the former congresswoman to join his circle of top advisers and lead the agency tasked with protecting the U.S. from terror threats, securing American borders and enforcing immigration law. 

In his nomination announcement, Trump hailed Noem as “very strong on Border Security,” signaling plans for a crackdown on immigration policy in his second White House term. Noem does not represent a border state, but she has been outspoken about immigration issues and snagged headlines for sending the South Dakota National Guard to the southern border last year. 

If confirmed, Noem would work closely with Tom Homan, Trump’s so-called border czar, and Stephen Miller, who’s on track to serve as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy.

Tuesday

Doug Collins

Former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and is on track to appear before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee at 9 a.m. Tuesday. His hearing was initially scheduled for this week but was delayed pending an FBI background check, the committee chair said. 

Collins represented Georgia in the House for nearly a decade, including a stint as vice chair of the House Republican Conference. A vocal Trump ally and defender, Collins served as counsel for Trump after the 2020 presidential election, as Trump questioned Georgia’s election results.  

In his nomination, Trump touted Collins’s military background. The VA hopeful was a Navy chaplain in the '90s, joined the Air Force Reserve in the early aughts, and was deployed to Iraq in 2008. 

If confirmed, Collins would oversee the department tasked with providing health care and other benefits to former members of the military and their families. 

Elise Stefanik

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and she’s slated to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at 10 a.m. Tuesday. 

Her confirmation would elevate a person Trump called a “smart America First fighter” to the critical diplomatic post as the president-elect signals more aggressive foreign policy positions for his second term. 

Stefanik, who has served on the House Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee, emerged as an outspoken Trump ally in her time on Capitol Hill. She replaced former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as House Republican Conference chair back in 2021 and was considered in the mix to become Trump’s 2024 running mate. 

In Trump’s first term, the ambassador position was held by Nikki Haley, who ran against Trump in 2024, and later by Kelly Craft. 

Coming later next week

• 10 a.m. Wednesday, Russell Vought, nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget, appears for a second time before the Senate Budget Committee.
• 10 a.m. Thursday, Brooke Rollins, nominee for secretary of Agriculture, appears before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.