President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, while moderating some of their stances, have made it clear during two weeks of hearings that they intend to work hard to sweep away former President Barack Obama's domestic policy by embracing a deeply conservative approach to governing.

In their confirmation hearings many of the nominees sought to shave the sharp edges off Trump's more provocative campaign promises and their past decisions and statements. Some backed away completely from past assertions, making clean breaks with Trump on climate change or the need to build a wall at the Mexican border.

Others remained vague about their commitment to the most divisive proposals in their policy areas, leaving a veil of uncertainty over what they would do to lead their departments if confirmed.

Ben Carson, the housing secretary nominee, told lawmakers that "safety net programs are important." But he did not disown past statements about the failure of government interventions and his belief that poverty was "really more of a choice than anything else."

Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency nominee, told senators that he now believed that "climate change is not a hoax." But he also forcefully advocated a far smaller and more restrained agency, while criticizing federal rules established by Obama's administration to protect air and water and tackle climate change.

Betsy DeVos, a longtime supporter of charter schools, pledged to work for "common ground," but did not back down on the use of federal money for private and religious schools. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the attorney general nominee, vowed to be "impartial and enforce laws that I didn't vote for," while holding firm to a decadeslong conservative approach to immigration and civil rights.

Several Democratic lawmakers appeared exasperated as they sought to pin the nominees down on the actions they intended to take in office.

No room for Obama

But there is no doubt that Trump's nominees collectively will lead an effort to undermine the legacy of Obama on the environment, health care, immigration, civil rights and education.

In his remarks to lawmakers, Republican Tom Price of Georgia, the nominee for secretary of health and human services, promised to lead an effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Republican Ryan Zinke of Montana, the nominee to lead the Interior Department, said he supported drilling, mining and logging on federal lands. Sessions came to the defense of police departments, saying officers had been "unfairly maligned and blamed" for the actions of a few in cases involving the deaths of young black men.

"There's a great deal of reform coming to Washington," Sean Spicer, the president's incoming press secretary, said during his first on-camera briefing Thursday. "These are amazing individuals that have a commitment to enacting an agenda of change."

Taken together, the congressional testimony reflects a domestic policy agenda that is still evolving.

Wilbur Ross, the billionaire investor who will serve as commerce secretary if he is confirmed, tried to reassure senators on issues like trade, even as he echoed some of Trump's more incendiary promises of economic warfare with other nations.

Like the president-elect, Ross lashed out at China, accusing it of being "the most protectionist country of the very large countries they talk more about free trade than they actually practice."

New York Times