WASHINGTON — A blizzard of confirmation hearings. President Obama’s farewell speech. President-elect Donald J. Trump’s first news conference since July. And, yes, something called a “vote-a-rama” in Congress.
In the throes of a chaotic political moment by any measure, the coming week stands out as especially — and, perhaps, strategically — overstuffed.
Here is a taste of what might come, with Mr. Trump’s inauguration less than two weeks away:
A pileup on Capitol Hill
Rarely could anyone in Congress stand accused of moving too quickly. But the slate of confirmation hearings on several of Mr. Trump’s cabinet nominees will test the reflexes and editorial judgment of even the most experienced C-Span crews.
The hearings are scheduled to begin Tuesday, when Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama, Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general, and Gen. John F. Kelly, the pick for Homeland Security secretary, are set to testify.
Also on Tuesday: President Obama’s evening speech, billed as a farewell address from Chicago. It is a final chance to defend his legacy before Mr. Trump takes office.
Graphic: Donald Trump Is Choosing His Cabinet. Here’s the Latest List.
Then it gets complicated. Republicans are expected to hold up to five hearings on Wednesday, including appearances from contentious selections like Rex W. Tillerson, Mr. Trump’s choice for secretary of state, and Betsy DeVos, his pick for education secretary.
Later in the week, Wilbur L. Ross Jr., the billionaire investor selected to be commerce secretary, is among those expected to appear before congressional panels.
Logistical hurdles
The pace of the hearing schedule and the unorthodox biographies of many in Mr. Trump’s prospective cabinet — with their far-flung business holdings and nongovernment backgrounds — have already produced headaches. As of late last week, several appointees had not completed the background checks and ethics disclosure forms typically required before the Senate considers cabinet-level nominees. It is not yet clear if or how these issues might affect the hearing schedule.
On Friday, the head of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter M. Shaub Jr., said in a letter that the announced schedule had placed “undue pressure” on the office to rush its reviews of nominees. He added that there was no precedent in the office’s four decades for the Senate holding hearings before such reviews were complete.
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the new Democratic leader, has accused the Trump transition team of colluding with Senate Republicans to “jam through” nominees. Republicans say they simply want to allow the incoming president to install his team as quickly as possible.
In an interview on Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, played down the concerns as “little procedural complaints,” which he attributed to Democrats’ frustration at having lost the election. “We need to sort of grow up here,” he said.
The Democratic playbook
Complaints about the process may not resonate with the broader public, though they will surely continue. In either case, Democrats view the hearings as an opportunity: How will the nominees parry questions about Mr. Trump’s most explosive campaign pledges, like barring Muslim immigrants and promoting torture?
“Where will they come down?” Mr. Schumer asked in an interview.
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