The first hearing set to take place after the Senate returned from a coronavirus-induced hiatus is the Senate Intelligence Committee's confirmation hearing for Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, President Trump's nominee for the director of national intelligence position.

Ratcliffe is a member of the House Intelligence, Judiciary, and Ethics Committees. He was a staunch defender of Trump during the Russia investigation and was on the president's advisory team during the impeachment proceedings earlier this year. Trump first considered him for the DNI position last year, but he withdrew his name last August fearing a rancorous, partisan confirmation process.

“I made the decision to withdraw from consideration because, you know, if your political future comes down to the vote of 100 U.S. senators, and you start out day one down 47 to nothing because every Democrat is against you, my concern was there’s not a lot of margin for error there,” Ratcliffe told Fox News at the time. “I just decided I was better served in the position that I am, where I can ask difficult questions of people like the special counsel and [former FBI Director] Jim Comey under oath and shape the investigation that way.”

Trump nominated Ratcliffe anyway in February. Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, is the current acting DNI, the second to have that role after former DNI Dan Coats resignation last summer. Joseph Maguire was acting DNI until February.

Democrats' opposition to Grenell could improve Ratcliffe's chances of being confirmed now. Earlier this month, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., sent Grenell a letter demanding answers regarding organizational changes in his office, including President Trump's recent termination of Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson.

The DNI position was created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to oversee the U.S. intelligence community. The DNI serves on the president's cabinet and acts as an adviser to the president, National Security Council, and Homeland Security Council for national security-related intelligence issues.