Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump are hoping to win bipartisan support for at least some of his less controversial nominees for positions in the upcoming administration - starting this week with Scott Turner, Trump's pick for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Axios reports, UNN writes.
Details
As indicated, they are contacting some key Democrats this week to arrange meetings with Turner to discuss housing and other issues on which they might be able to find common ground.
Turner is scheduled to meet with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, the new ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, as well as all Republicans on the committee, starting with Republican Senator Tim Scott, a person familiar with Turner's confirmation plan told Axios.
Turner's meeting with Warren will be one of the few to take place between a Senate Democrat and a Trump cabinet candidate. Last week, Democratic Senator John Fetterman "broke the ice" by talking to two of Trump's candidates, the newspaper said.
Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hagel, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard are among those under particular scrutiny from Senate Democrats. The others, including Turner, are unlikely to face many obstacles, the newspaper notes.
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It is stated that Warren, Democratic Senator Andy Kim and Fetterman are among the few Democrats who have expressed willingness to meet with some of Trump's candidates and possibly support them.
Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin said she would support Sean Duffy's nomination for Transportation Secretary after meeting with him last week, and Fetterman said he would support Republican House Representative Alice Stefanik for UN Ambassador.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for Secretary of State, and House Republican Lori Chavez-Dermer, a candidate for Labor Secretary, have received praise from Trump's critics and are likely to receive Democratic votes as well, the newspaper writes.
Addendum
"The growing focus on garnering at least some Democratic support underscores how differently Trump's current group of candidates are perceived" compared to the candidates in his first term, the publication points out.
In 2017, 36 out of 52 House Republicans supported each of Trump's cabinet nominees, according to data collected by the New York Times. David Shulkin, Trump's nominee to head the Veterans Administration, was approved with a score of 100-0.