Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing is becoming a test of will for Republicans on ensuring FBI files aren't distributed throughout the entire Senate.

Why it matters: The Trump transition team is demanding the president-elect's nominees be treated the same way they insist Joe Biden's were.

• That means no FBI file access for rank-and-file senators, according to two people familiar with the matter.
• Senate Armed Services chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) have been briefed on the report. Others have not.

Zoom in: Wicker privately raised the idea of letting his full committee see Hegseth's file, but Trump officials are opposed to sharing it, according to a person familiar with the matter.

• The Trump team wants to hold the line on having a consistent standard for all nominees.
• Look for them to fight any effort to release Hegseth's file, even if Wicker says there's not much of interest.
• "Chairman Wicker and President-elect Trump are on the same page when it comes to having his nominees undergo the confirmation process in an orderly fashion that honors Senate precedent," a Wicker spokesperson said.

Zoom out: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Dems huddled tonight on how to respond, as we scooped earlier.

• Democrats admit the precedent is on the GOP's side. But they say the nature of Hegseth's nomination — including allegations of sexual misconduct that he's denied — at least deserves a conversation.
• "We should all be able to see the report and draw our own conclusions about how incomplete it is and even in the modest amount it covers, how much damage it does to Mr. Hegseth," Armed Services committee member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told us.

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— Hans Nichols and Stephen Neukam

House Democrats are warning Speaker Mike Johnson that tying federal wildfire relief for California to the debt limit could set a precedent that would come back to bite Republicans.

• Johnson told reporters this afternoon (video) that there's "some" discussion of tying disaster aid to raising the debt limit.

Why it matters: Disaster prone red states such as Florida and Louisiana — Johnson's home state — could face a similar squeeze from Democrats if they retake the House, lawmakers told us.

• "This place is like high school, it's tit for tat when one side breaks a norm. The other side is happy to return the favor," said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), pointing to the removal of members from committees as an example.
• If Johnson conditions the aid, Moskowitz said, "California's our largest delegation. You think they're going to forget about that?"
• House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said conditioning aid would be "crazy and ridiculous" and would "completely upend Congress."

Zoom in: "There should probably be conditions on that aid, that's my personal view," Johnson told reporters.

• "State and local leaders were derelict in their duty," he said. Johnson also cited "water resource mismanagement" and "forest management mistakes."

The bottom line: Disaster aid and raising the debt limit will both need Democratic votes to pass.

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— Andrew Solender

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has picked four senators to form his kitchen cabinet — an inner circle of advisers outside of elected leadership.

• Why it matters: A new leader means new alliances — and new voices with influence.

Thune's kitchen cabinet:

1. Steve Daines of Montana — who helped give Thune his majority as NRSC chair.
2. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a vocal supporter of Thune's leadership bid from the start.
3. John Cornyn of Texas, who ran against Thune for leader.
4. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who was praised for leading the effort of re-writing the RNC platform last year — in a Trump-like style.

P.S. 💨 Ahead of Thune's regular leadership meeting tonight, a fireplace in his office created a real-life smoke-filled room.

Zoom out: The unofficial advisory board are invited to join the elected Senate GOP leadership team in regular Monday meetings.

• Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming
• GOP conference chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas
• Policy chair Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
• Vice chair of policy James Lankford of Oklahoma
• NRSC chair Tim Scott of South Carolina

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— Stef Kight