Senate Republicans are pushing to confirm a slate of President Donald Trump’s nominees to key executive branch positions ahead of the chamber’s upcoming recess, scheduled for August 10. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is set to face the Senate Judiciary Committee for a two-day hearing on Wednesday and Thursday to take over the role left vacant when former Attorney General Pam Bondi was dismissed in April. Blanche has been filling the role on an interim basis since then, but his tenure has not been without controversy.

In May, Blanche drew the ire of even Republican senators when he agreed to establish a nearly-$2 billion fund to compensate victims of government weaponization. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other Republicans were hesitant to endorse the fund’s creation, and some outright criticized Blanche for following the president’s instructions in setting up the fund. Eventually, the fund was not established, despite Blanche’s defense of it, but a fiery Senate hearing on the subject revealed that many senators, especially Democrats, saw Blanche as personally loyal to the president, having served as Trump’s personal attorney prior to the start of the president’s second term.

While Blanche was fairly easily confirmed as deputy attorney general last year, Republican Senators Thom Tillis (N.C.) and John Cornyn (Texas) have both been hesitant to announce their support for the promotion, although both have reportedly warmed to the Blanche nomination after meeting with him. Late last month, Tillis shared that he is leaning towards voting for Blanche and has a “positive disposition” toward him, despite the senator’s recent spats with the Trump administration, but demanded assurances regarding impartiality and a definite block on the anti-weaponization fund. Similarly, Cornyn said that he had a “positive” meeting with Blanche but cautioned that he “will not make a decision on confirmation until after that briefing and completion of his hearing before the committee.”

Following the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s death over the weekend, Republicans are down to a narrow majority of 11 members on the Judiciary Committee, compared to Democrats’ 10. Both Tillis and Cornyn sit on the committee, meaning that even a single GOP defection could stall or end Blanche’s confirmation.

A less contentious nominee is former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman and outgoing U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, who has been named to the post of Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The post was previously held by former congresswoman and ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month when her husband was diagnosed with bone cancer. Trump initially named Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director Bill Pulte both as acting DNI and as his nominee to take over the role permanently but changed course and nominated Clayton instead.

While Pulte was seen as a Trump loyalist who lacked experience, Clayton has been roundly praised as a nominee, even by Democrats. Thune hailed Clayton as “a really good pick. He’s obviously very capable and competent and [has] a great record,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) indicated that he would likely not oppose Clayton’s nomination if it meant “getting rid of Pulte. That is unequivocal.” He added, “Pulte has got to go. … The DNI role is too important for him to be there. He has got to go, period. No matter what else they do.” Other Democrats, however, have expressed reservations about Clayton, who was tasked by the Justice Department with investigating Democrats’ ties to notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and prosecuting captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on drug trafficking charges.

Although Clayton has little hands-on intelligence experience, his background as a federal prosecutor and as SEC chairman, in addition to his management skills and professionalism, are in his favor, as is the fact that many Democrats do not see him as an ideological nominee or a Trump loyalist.

Another Trump nominee, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director pick Erica Schwartz, will face the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Wednesday, to replace former CDC chief Susan Monarez, who was fired after clashing with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccination policies. Schwartz served as a deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first term and as chief health officer for the U.S. Coast Guard before that. She also holds a law degree. Physician and HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has described Schwartz and her experience as “very impressive.”

The current acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling will face the same HELP Committee on Thursday to be confirmed in his role full time. Sonderling was confirmed easily (53 to 46) in his role as deputy labor secretary last year and has been managing the department since his former boss, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, resigned in April; he also held numerous personnel and management roles in the first Trump administration. Like Clayton, Sonderling is not viewed by Democrats as largely ideological.

Others expected to face Senate confirmation hearings this week include Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator nominee David Cummins, Deputy Treasury Secretary nominee Francis Brooke, Treasury Under-Secretary nominee Erin Browne, and Pentagon Comptroller nominee Jay Hurst.