Sen. Johnson to Newsmax: Not Expecting Dem Help in Confirmations

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Friday that he is "really not expecting any help from Democrats" heading into confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, which are expected to begin next week.

"I wish we were going to get some, but I doubt it," Johnson said on "Wake Up America." "I'll be satisfied if they don't obstruct our process of moving forward and confirming those people. I think President Trump won a very convincing victory. He ran on some very strong promises. The American people say they want a secure border. They want safety for their children. And so that's what we need to deliver on. And in order for President Trump to do that, he needs the people in place in his administration to really make good on those promises."

When asked if he was concerned by reports that the confirmation process could possibly be slowed down by delayed background checks and paperwork issues, Johnson said it shouldn't be a problem for the FBI.

"I'm hoping the FBI has pulled their agents off investigating grandmas that just showed up on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C, and started devoting their massive manpower resources to doing these background checks," he said. "They're not that complex. You talk to a bunch of people. This is pretty run-of-the-mill type of investigations. I think the people that President Trump has nominated should have a pretty clean slate, so that should not be a hangup. That should not slow down the process at all."

The Wisconsin senator also expressed confidence that Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, whose nomination was once in jeopardy, will ultimately weather his confirmation hearing and be confirmed. Since his nomination was announced, Hegseth has spent considerable time on Capitol Hill meeting with senators in an effort to shore up support prior to his appearance before the confirmation panel.

"During those meetings with senators, I think he did an excellent job," Johnson said. "I know a lot of people who have worked with Pete came out and called senators like myself and expressed strong support for him. He's really, to the extent he can turn his life around, he has done so, and so, they're just strong recommendations. I really don't see any problems in getting him confirmed."

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