In a private vote, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved Mr. Hegseth’s nomination strictly along party lines on a vote of 14 to 13, with Republicans voting as a bloc to move it to the floor and Democrats unanimously opposed.

Pete Hegseth needs a simple majority in the Senate for confirmation. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority, he requires at least 51 votes. Given Senator Murkowski's opposition, Hegseth must secure at least 51 of the remaining 52 GOP votes.

The Senate quickly confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state Monday, voting unanimously to give President Donald Trump the first member of his new Cabinet on Inauguration Day.

Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, withstood hours of questioning during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

Hegseth, 44, is a combat veteran and former Fox News host. The committee voted along party lines to advance his nomination to the full Senate.

The vote may indicate whether fresh allegations about his personal conduct that surfaced this week are enough to stop his confirmation.

The former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of the U S Department of Defense, has accused him of abusing his ex-wife However, the ex-wife denies there was any physical abuse

Republicans appear poised to confirm Trump’s controversial nominee to lead the government’s largest and most complex agency

The Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on the Rubio nomination Monday afternoon before it heads to the floor. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said last week he plans to hold a Monday evening vote on Trump’s nomination of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be secretary of Defense.

Pete Hegseth’s ex-wife recently gave a new statement to the FBI about the defense nominee’s alcohol use, according to two sources familiar with the matter, an issue that has become a source of controversy during his confirmation process.

Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde urged Donald Trump during her inaugural prayer to show mercy to LGBTQ people and immigrants.