U.S. Senate Republican leader John Thune faces the test of his career this year as he tries to steer Donald Trump's agenda through a narrowly divided Congress while protecting his own chamber's authority over Cabinet picks and spending.

President-elect Donald Trump emerged from a lengthy meeting on Capitol Hill with Republican senators late Wednesday with no preferred strategy for tackling his legislative priorities as House and Senate GOP leaders are straining to develop a plan as the party takes power in Washington.

U.S. Senate Democrats raised concerns Wednesday that Republicans have scheduled a hearing for one of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees before he completed the necessary paperwork and an FBI background check.