We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is “pushing for a vote” on Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for heading up Homeland Security, in the first week after the inauguration.

Speaking to Breitbart News Daily, Paul — chair of the Homeland Security Committee, which is in charge of confirming both Noem and Russell Vought for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) — said they are pushing for a quick turnaround.

“Well, the primary appointment will be the secretary for Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and also important will be Russ Vought who will be head of OMB,” he said, noting they have already talked to both of them.

“We’ll be having their nomination hearing next week, which is the earliest we can possibly have it, and we’ll be pushing for a vote in the first week after the inauguration. There can’t be a vote until the president is sworn in and then the President makes their nomination official. So that’s the earliest possible time,” he said, identifying that as the “week after the inauguration.”

“The reason I say they have to allow it is, it eventually can happen, which sometimes takes a week or two if they object. If they don’t object, and say, well, the country really ought to have somebody in charge of these things immediately, like Secretary of State, Department of Homeland Security, often those can be done by consent,” he said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Homeland Security Secretary, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem departs from a meeting with Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Thune (R-SD) on in the U.S. Capitol December 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“We allowed that under the Biden administration early on. They had two or three of their nominees confirmed in the first week. And so our hope is that the Democrats will allow this. I think that they will,” he said, adding it will be viewed as unsafe if they do not allow it in the first week.

“But I’m hopeful we will get several of them across the first week,” Paul continued before discussing Noem more specifically.

“I knew her when she was also in Congress. I’ve known her as a governor,” he began, explaining that he believes the governor is “fully capable and will be a good secretary.”

“I think that she senses and understands President Trump’s desire — as well as the desire of most of us — to have a secure southern border. So I think that she knows that it’s his priority. She knows it’s our priority,” he said, noting that his first hearing after Noem’s will be a hearing called Remain in Mexico.

LISTEN:

“And we will talk about what we believe the current immigration law — without any laws being passed — gives the President the latitude to stop the migrant invasion,” he added.

The senator said he believes there is a good chance that Democrats will “accede or allow the vote on Kristi Noem, hopefully in the first week.”

Breitbart News Daily airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.