This is a very influential week in American politics. The U.S. Senate will host hearings during the next two weeks on various cabinet level positions for the incoming Trump administration. Pay attention not only to who is being vetted, but also how the process works and how your senators vote.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has rolled out a significant portion of his executive cabinet selections along with some other executive positions. Many of them — Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, Betsy DeVos for secretary of education and Dr. Ben Carson for secretary of housing and urban development — have been decried by Democrats. Additionally, Republican challenger to Trump and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is slated to become the next secretary of energy. Perry would be in charge of an agency he called to have eliminated when he ran for president in 2011.

Whether you agree with Trump’s picks for various agencies, do some research on each person’s qualifications and past statements. Some are well-known, have made many public remarks and have voting records. Others are like billionaire Wilbur Ros, who is Trump’s pick for secretary of commerce, and have not spent most of their lives in the public eye.

What is troubling is that some of Trump’s picks have not filled out the paperwork from the Office of Government Ethics. This paperwork helps Senate committee members vet and verify the people chosen by Trump will execute their duties in the executive office free of personal and business conflicts. This is a big deal.

The American people and the senators who represent them and have the power to approve or deny candidates should not vote on confirmation until they have all of the information possible from the Office of Government Ethics.

Trying to rush the confirmation hearings and stacking them in the same day seems shady. It appears that Republicans are worried that if more time is allowed, some of the candidates won’t be approved. It would be a giant red flag if they are that worried and are indeed trying to rush this process.

We as citizens must have a say in who will execute the laws of the land at the highest level. That is why we must vet the candidates ourselves. Do some research about the people slated to run the different government agencies citizens depend on every day. Watch the confirmation hearings and see what you agree with and what you don’t agree with. Then, contact your senators and make your voice heard. Call their Washington, D.C. or local offices and tell them what you think. After that, watch how they vote and hold them accountable.

Sen. Joni Ernst D.C. office: (202) 224-3254

Sen. Chuck Grassley D.C. office: (202) 224-3744