Will Ashley Moody, DeSantis' Rubio replacement, be another Trump ally in Senate?

All right, from the State Department to Capitol Hill, more President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks, answering Senators' tough questions as part of their confirmation process. They are Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator nominee Lee Zeldin, Housing and Urban Development Secretary nominee Scott Turner, and Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Besant. Day two of the confirmation hearings, for Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi also happening today, and a number of witnesses appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on her behalf. Bondi fielding blistering questions from the committee yesterday about her allegiance to President-elect Trump and whether she would allow him to use the Justice Department to target political enemies. And a major shakeup to the makeup of the Senate came earlier this morning. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tapped State Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Senator Marco Rubio's congressional seat. Take a listen to what Moody had to say moments after that announcement was made. I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States Senator that I have brought as Florida's Attorney General. If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know I don't think of this as a job. I think of it as a calling. Every day I go to work, every decision that I make, every person I hire, I do so with the understanding that the people of Florida gave me this opportunity and I want to deliver on what I assured them. And that was we were going to protect their rights, we were going to protect the autonomy of this state, we were going to protect our communities. And I believe that we have done that and I think we have to take that same direction to the United States Senate. CBS News Congressional Correspondent Scott McFarland is following all of this from Capitol Hill for us. Scott, thanks for being with us. Does this nomination of Ashley Moody mean another voice for President-elect Trump in the Senate? Yeah, I think ultimately the Senate Republican Conference is aligned with Donald Trump with maybe an exception or two on nearly every issue. And Ashley Moody, to get through the gauntlet to get this nomination and to get this appointment is clearly aligned with Donald Trump. She's a statewide officeholder in Florida, which gives her more name recognition throughout the state, easier for her to get up to speed with the different parts of the state because she's represented the entire state as Attorney General, but she's going to be synchronized with the rest of the Republican Conference at a time, Liz, when every vote is critical. It's a 53-47 Senate, a vacancy, even a short-term one, truly impacts critical legislation and critical nominations. Ashley Moody gives Republicans the backstop they need as Marco Rubio appears destined to be the next Secretary of State with bipartisan support already, which is a rarity around here. Yeah. Well, Senator Rubio, as you mentioned, seems like a sure confirmation for Trump. But which nominees are giving the Senate pause? Look for the ones that aren't on the calendar yet. You showed that great split screen of all the Trump nominees for housing, for Treasury, for EPA that were up there today, all those individuals. That they're on the calendar is an indication things are looking rosy for all of them, that there is no opposition that has galvanized to stop these nominees from being confirmed. But who's not on the calendar yet? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the would-be health secretary. Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman, who's to be the nation's intelligence director. And oh, by the way, the next FBI director would be Kash Patel, if he's confirmed. None of them's on the calendar, which is an indication there is more to be buttoned up to secure the necessary votes. Doesn't mean it won't happen, but those are the ones with the big red flags. And Scott, you have reporting on a dispute growing between House Democrats and Republicans over a plaque to honor the heroes and victims of the Capitol insurrection. Can you walk us through what you're hearing on that? Yeah, this may seem small to some members of Congress, but it is enormous to others. In 2022, Congress passed a law requiring a plaque to honor police victims and police heroes be erected here at the Capitol by March 2023. It's been nearly two years. It still hasn't been hung. Today, dozens of Democrats wrote to the House Speaker saying, why isn't the plaque up yet by law? And when are you going to do so? He hasn't responded to their inquiry, so we brought the question to him a few minutes ago. It's not a slight in any way to our outgoing chairman, who did a great job under very difficult circumstances. I have nothing but respect for Mike Turner, and if there's not a negative word, we'll have to come to the Speaker about that. Did you feel like the news wasn't critical enough in receiving those statements? No, I gave you my explanation, and that's what it is. Has the House ever complained to you about this decision? No. Mr. Speaker, a few dozen Democrats and Mr. Pelosi wrote me today asking about that January 6th plaque. Nothing ever going up? I need to check on that. Should Trump be safe? I recognize it's distinctively difficult to hear with all that marble and all those microphones moving around. But the question was, is it ever going up? And he says, I'll have to look into it. I haven't looked at the letter that was sent to me. This is a dispute that Democrats think should have been solved years ago. And a few Democrats tell me, Liz, they think there's a hesitance to putting up a January 6th plaque, and though it's required by law, at the same spot where Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Monday. All right, Scott McFarlane bringing us the very latest from Capitol Hill. Scott, thanks for that great reporting there.