January is poised to be a volatile month that’s jam-packed with Senate committee hearings to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. Here is a look at the nominees and their upcoming hearing schedules.

Week of Jan. 9

Position: Housing and Urban Development secretary
Nominee: Ben Carson
Background: Retired neurosurgeon, former GOP primary rival
Committee: Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Confirmation Hearings: Sen. Mike Crapo is planning to hold a hearing next week
Recent Coverage:
— Trump picks Ben Carson to be HUD secretary
— Carson’s nonexistent governing experience? Not a problem
— Ben Carson: My mom kept us out of public housing to avoid ‘danger’

Tuesday, Jan. 10

Position: Attorney general
Nominee: Sen. Jeff Sessions
Background: Alabama Republican Congressman
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Confirmation Hearings: Jan. 10 and 11. More here.
Recent Coverage:
— Sessions confirmation hearing dates announced
— Sessions looks like a lock for confirmation
— 7 big areas where Jeff Sessions could change policy at DOJ

Wednesday, Jan. 11

Position: Education secretary
Nominee: Betsy DeVos
Background: Billionaire, philanthropist, Republican megadonor
Committee: Senate HELP
Confirmation hearings: Jan. 11 at 10 a.m. in 430 Dirksen. More here.
Recent Coverage:
— Trump selects DeVos as Education secretary
— Senate Democrats to portray DeVos as public school enemy
— DeVos heads into confirmation with a megadonor’s advantage

Position: Transportation secretary
Nominee: Elaine Chao
Background: Former Labor Secretary under the George W. Bush administration, deputy secretary of transportation under President George H.W. Bush, member of Trump’s Asian Pacific American Advisory Council for the campaign, married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Confirmation Hearings: Jan. 11 10:15 a.m. in Senate Russell, Room 253. More here.
Recent Coverage:
— Elaine Chao tapped to be Trump’s Transportation secretary

Position: Homeland Security secretary
Nominee: John Kelly
Background: Retired Marine general, former U.S. Southern Command chief
Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Confirmation hearings: Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. in SD-342 Dirksen. More here.
Recent Coverage:
— Trump officially picks John Kelly to lead DHS
— Trump’s DHS pick could be a ‘force for moderation’
— Why Trump is so obsessed with generals

Position: Secretary of State
Nominee: Rex Tillerson
Background: CEO of Exxon Mobil
Committee: Senate Foreign Relations
Confirmation Hearings: Jan. 11
Recent Coverage:
— Trump taps Tillerson for secretary of state
— Why Trump picked Rex Tillerson
— Tillerson to face off with McCain this week

Thursday, Jan. 12

Position: Commerce secretary
Nominee: Wilbur Ross
Background: Billionaire private-equity investor, founder of the private equity firm WL Ross & Co.
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Confirmation Hearings: Jan. 12 at 10:00 a.m. More here.
Recent Coverage:
— Trump to pick billionaire Wilbur Ross as Commerce secretary
— Wilbur Ross’ questionnaire reveals little on potential conflicts of interest
— Wilbur Ross’s Chinese Love Affair

Week of Jan. 16

Position: Labor secretary
Nominee: Andy Puzder
Background: CEO of CKE Restaurants, which include the Carl’s Jr. fast food chain
Committee: Senate HELP
Confirmation Hearings: The week of Jan. 16
Recent Coverage:
— Trump chooses Puzder as labor secretary
— The hidden powers Andy Puzder would hold at the Department of Labor

TBD

Position: Health and Human Services secretary
Nominee: Rep. Tom Price
Background: Georgia Republican Congressman, House Budget Chairman
Committee: Senate Finance
Confirmation Hearings: TBD, the HELP Committee is tentatively set to hold a confirmation hearing on Jan. 18. This is a courtesy.
Recent Coverage:
— Price picked to lead HHS
— Tom Price’s radically conservative vision for American health care

Position: Treasury secretary
Nominee: Steven Mnuchin
Background: Former Goldman Sachs executive, Trump’s national finance chair for the campaign
Committee: Senate Finance
Confirmation Hearings: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump to pick Mnuchin for Treasury secretary
— 4 big areas where Steven Mnuchin could change policy at Treasury
— America’s New Dealmakers-in-Chief

Position: Secretary of Defense
Nominee: James Mattis
Background: Retired U.S. Marine Corps general
Committee: Senate Armed Services
Confirmation Hearings: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump picks General ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis as defense secretary
— Democrats talk up the one Trump nomination they can torpedo
— Hagel worries Mattis might eclipse Joint Chiefs
— 9 unforgettable quotes by James Mattis

Position: Interior Secretary
Nominee: Rep. Ryan Zinke
Background: Montana Republican Congressman, former U.S. Navy SEAL commander
Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Confirmation hearings: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump selects Zinke as Interior secretary
— Trump’s Interior pick lifts outdoors groups

Position: Energy Secretary
Nominee: Rick Perry
Background: Former governor of Texas
Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Confirmation hearing: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump picks Perry to lead Energy Department he once vowed to kill
— The selling of Rick Perry’s smarts
— Quick facts on Rick Perry, Trump’s pick for secretary of Energy

Position: Environmental Protection Agency administrator
Nominee: Scott Pruitt
Background: Oklahoma Attorney General
Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works
Confirmation Hearings: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump officially picks Oklahoma AG Pruitt to lead EPA
— Obama’s mighty EPA falls into Pruitt’s hands
— Democrats press EPA pick Pruitt on energy sector ties

Position: Ambassador to the United Nations
Nominee: Nikki Haley
Background: Governor of South Carolina
Committee: Senate Foreign Relations
Confirmation hearings: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump taps Nikki Haley to be U.N. ambassador
— Haley shocked by Trump’s interest
— The Mainstreaming of Nikki Haley

Position: Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Nominee: Rep. Mick Mulvaney
Background: South Carolina Republican Congressman
Committee: Senate Budget and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Confirmation hearings: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Mulvaney tapped to lead Trump’s budget office

Position: U.S. trade representative
Nominee: Robert Lighthizer
Background: Trade attorney, former deputy USTR under President Ronald Reagan
Committee: Senate Finance
Confirmation hearing: TBD
Recent Coverage:
— Trump picks Lighthizer to serve as U.S. trade representative
— Trump poised to weaken trade agency

Bad news: the State Senate is considering 3 bills to roll back the minimum wage in our state, and they’re going to be heard in committee this Thursday — February 2nd.

• SB 5530 would lower the minimum wage to $9.53/hour in 38 of the 39 counties in our state. (There would be a new sub-minimum wage for all workers outside of King County.)
• SB 5532 would lower the minimum wage for people who work for certain types of employers. (There would be a new sub-minimum wage if you work for an employer classified as a nonprofit  — no matter how large they are.)
• SB 5541 would lower the minimum wage for some kinds of workers. (There would be a new sub-minimum wage for younger workers — no matter what their responsibilities.)

Have you ever worked outside of King County, ever worked for a nonprofit employer? Ever worked as a young person?

Know anyone who has?

Then let us know what you think by rating these proposals on a scale of 1 – 5 skulls — and then help us tell the committee to take their hands off our minimum wage.

Here’s the good news: we just voted to raise the minimum wage by almost 60%, so we know the people of Washington State support living wages, not poverty wages. Let’s use that support as a push. Let’s send the Legislature an unmistakeable message that they need to take their hands off our minimum wage.

So let us know what you think — and if you’re in the Olympia area, let us know if you can make it. The hearing is set to begin at 1:30pm in the Cherberg Building on the Capitol Campus.

Let’s beat this back. We can do this.

Onwards!
Working Washington

PS > Did you hear about this by text message too? Sorry for doubling up we just wanted to make sure the word got out!