President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department sat for a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday after hearings for Veterans’ Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins and Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum were postponed.

The Senate battle to confirm President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks will begin in earnest on Tuesday, as his controversial pick to lead the Pentagon, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, meets the

President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks will undergo Senate confirmation hearings this week, starting on January 14.

Hegseth is set to begin confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. In his opening statement obtained by NBC News, he leans into his outside perspective. “It’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm,” he is expected to say. NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for "TODAY."

Jeff Naft is now communications director for the Senate Banking Committee. He most recently was communications director for the House Intelligence Committee and is an alum of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.).

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth faces a Senate hearing ... Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum will testify on Thursday, and Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins will sit next Tuesday.Senate Democrats complained they hadn't received ...

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth faces ... Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum will testify on Thursday, and Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins will sit next Tuesday.Senate ...

The Senate battle to confirm President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks will begin in earnest on Tuesday, as his controversial pick to lead the Pentagon, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth ...

The documents include information like Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's salary at Fox News ... Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins Former Rep. Doug Collins is Trump's nominee to be secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It will take a simple majority of 50 senators to advance Hegseth’s confirmation in Thursday’s vote. Most Republicans, who hold a 53-seat majority in the chamber, have signaled they will back the nominee, including Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, herself a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor.

Trump’s pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency is John Ratcliffe, who formerly served as Director of National Intelligence in Trump’s first term. His confirmation hearing took place last week, during which he repeatedly said he would not hire or fire employees based on their political views.