Kristi Noem Confirmation Hearing For DHS Secretary Postponed

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security, South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem, saw her confirmation hearing delayed by two days.
Noem is now set to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday at 9 a.m., after the hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday.
A committee aide informed The Hill that the delay was due to a holdup in the FBI background check for Governor Noem.
“Noem isn’t the only nominee facing delays due to paperwork. Trump’s pick for the Department of the Interior, former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R), also had his hearing postponed by two days,” The Hill reported.
The delay in Burgum’s case was attributed to procedural holdups at the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), according to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Mike Lee.
“Despite his compliance and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee noticing the hearing in accordance with all rules, OGE has yet to complete its review. This bureaucratic delay is unacceptable,” Lee said.
Similarly, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), whom Trump nominated to head the U.S. intelligence community, also saw her hearing delayed due to a “paperwork problem,” as Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) explained on Sunday.
“It’s a paperwork issue with the Office of Government Ethics,” Barrasso said in an interview. “We hoped to have the hearing later this week, but it looks like it’s going to be the following week.”
Oh, nothing, just the FBI slow-rolling Trump nominee background paperwork.
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) January 15, 2025
“@KristiNoem becomes third Trump nominee to have hearing delayed because of FBI: report”https://t.co/eXfkRlDsUo
Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, newly seated on the Homeland Security panel, expressed enthusiasm for Noem’s nomination and predicted a swift confirmation.
“She’s great,” Moreno said. “I can’t wait for her to be on the job. The reality is, we need her right away. Look what’s going on with our border. We cannot hesitate. She’s going to be one of the very first confirmations, so we’ll get her across the finish line and then some.”
Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, another committee member, defended Noem’s national security record after meeting with her in her office ahead of the confirmation hearing.
“It was a good meeting, and I’m excited,” Ernst said. “As a governor, she has really stood up. We talked about National Guard troops. She has sent them to the southern border, just like my governor, Kim Reynolds. I think it’s extremely important to have somebody with her knowledge and ability, protecting our homeland.”
Senator James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican and committee member, emphasized that Noem’s experience as a governor is an asset when it comes to national security.
“She’s a governor, quite frankly,” Lankford said. “There’s a lot that goes into being a governor, making executive decisions.”
Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich., the committee’s ranking member, mentioned that his discussions with Noem had been “productive,” though he refrained from offering a full opinion on the nominee.
“We’re still working on that as well and making sure we have all the documents that we need before we have that hearing,” Peters said.
In response to the attacks in his state, Republican Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana urged the Senate to act swiftly on Noem’s confirmation.
“This is no time to play around,” Landry told Fox News last week. “I am calling on Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to allow Kristi Noem to get to work on Day 1 as our Secretary of Homeland Security. There should be no gap in leadership. After the Bourbon Street and Las Vegas attacks, our nation’s security depends on her quick confirmation.”