Senate panels move fast on Hegseth, Ratcliffe, Rubio

Catch up quick: The Armed Services Committee approved Hegseth with a nail-biter vote of 14-13.

• The Intelligence panel voted 14-3 in favor of Ratcliffe's nomination.
• The Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved Rubio's nomination 22-0.
• The Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee cleared Kristi Noem to lead Department of Homeland Security with a vote of 13-2. It also approved Russell Vought for director of the Office of Management and Budget 8-7.

Between the lines: Hegseth has been one of the most controversial of Trump's picks.

• Both Rubio and Ratcliffe come with well-regarded congressional experience.
• Ratcliffe was previously confirmed as Director of National Intelligence in the first Trump administration.

The big picture: Hegseth has been besieged with scandals since his nomination was announced, though Republicans have largely rallied around him in recent weeks.

• Hegseth has been accused of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement. He has denied the accusations.

• Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist, has faced accusations of politicizing his post as director of national intelligence in Trump's first term. He's vowed to eliminate political biases and "wokeness" in the agency's workforce policies, and instead focus on "the mission."
• Rubio, who is hawkish on foreign policy, will be instrumental in making good on many of Trump's campaign trail promises — from ending the war in Ukraine to countering China's growing influence and implementing the cease-fire in Gaza.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.