May 26 Key Player: Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. By Admin, PBS News Hour Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, 69, is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy and the now-ranking GOP member of the committee, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, will be responsible for overseeing the upcoming Supreme Court nomination hearings. Continue reading
Feb 02 Watch Ethical, Legal Challenges Loom in Vetting Cabinet Choices While some of President Obama's Cabinet picks have sailed through confirmation, others have hit snags, such as Tom Daschle's recent admission of past tax mistakes. Analysts mull the pitfalls of cabinet-building. Continue watching
Dec 04 Watch Senate Begins Confirmation Hearings for Gates as Defense Secretary The Senate begins confirmation hearings Tuesday for ex-CIA Director Robert Gates, who President Bush chose to take outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's place. The NewsHour reports on the confirmation process. Continue watching
May 18 Watch Senators Press CIA Nominee on Legality of Surveillance Efforts In the face of close questioning by senators, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, President Bush's nominee for CIA director, strongly defended a domestic eavesdropping program Thursday, saying it protected the country against terrorism and did not violate Americans' civil rights. Continue watching
Feb 15 Chertoff Confirmed As Homeland Security Chief By PBS News Hour The Senate unanimously confirmed federal judge Michael Chertoff as the nation's next Homeland Security secretary Tuesday, despite wrangling over whether he had any connection to a Justice Department memo on the treatment of terror suspects. Continue reading