We all know by now that Rumsfeld has resigned (finally!) and that President Bush has nominated Robert Gates to be the new Secretary of Defense. This leads me to a two-part question:

a) When does the current Congress start meeting again?
b) Will the confirmation hearing be done with the current Senate or the newly elected one when they take office in January?

I ask because I don't want Gates confirmed. As far as I understand, he has the leadership experience after being the CIA director when Bush Sr. was in it, but I think we should have someone that is not a Bush crony. If the current Senate does it, I think chances are he will be confirmed, but if the new one does it, he might not be.

Reuters reported today, Thursday, November 16, 2006, that Republican leaders set quick Senate confirmation hearings for Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, hoping to get him confirmed by the end of the year. Hearings on the Gates nomination will be held by the Senate Armed Services Committee. If it votes favorably, his nomination would be sent to the Senate floor for a vote.