The first hearings for President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet nominations begin on Tuesday, with testimony from his picks to lead the departments of State, Homeland and Defense.

Why it matters: It's been a slow start for a process that usually takes place days or weeks earlier for incoming presidents. The first slate of nominees will appear on Tuesday before a Republican-controlled Senate, but that will change once the new Democratic senators-elect from Georgia are sworn in.

The big picture: Biden's inauguration is in two days, and he plans to start his tenure with a shock-and-awe campaign through executive orders, federal powers, and speeches that signal a "radical shift" in his administration.

Schedule

Jan. 19:

• 10am: Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for secretary of homeland security nominee, before the Senate Homeland Committee .
• 10 am: : Avril Haines, nominee for director of national intelligence, before the Senate Intelligence Committee
• 10 am: Janet Yellen, nominee for treasury secretary, before the Senate Finance Committee
• 2 pm: Antony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
• 3 pm: Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, nominee for defense secretary, before the Senate Armed Services Committee

This page will be updated as more hearings are scheduled.

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