Two of President Bush's Cabinet nominees went before the Senate for their confirmation hearings on Tuesday.

Secretary of State-designee Condoleezza Rice testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to news reports, Democrats sharply questioned her role in the war on Iraq when she was Bush's national security adviser. Much of the intelligence, such as Saddam Hussein possession weapons of mass destruction, has proved faulty.

In a separate hearing, former Utah governor Michael O. Leavitt testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Leavitt is nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Indian Health Service. The hearing centered on Medicaid spending, according to The New York Times.

Leavitt will testify before the Senate Finance Committee today where Medicaid is expected to be an issue. Leavitt is currently serving as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Get the Story:
Rice Stays Close to Bush Policies In Hearing (The Washington Post 1/19)
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Rice Sees Iraq Training Progress but Offers No Schedule for Exit (The New York Times 1/19)
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Bush Nominee Wants States to Get Medicaid Flexibility (The New York Times 1/19)
Rice Pledges to Mend Ties as Confirmation Hearings Begin (The New York Times 1/19)
Transcript: Confirmation Hearing of Condoleeza Rice (FDCH e-Medi 1/18)

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