WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the panel's top Democrat asked U.S. President Donald Trump to detail his rationale for firing 18 inspectors general that provide oversight at U.S. government agencies.

President Donald Trump fired more than a dozen inspectors general across the federal government apparently without giving Congress the required notice and reasons, providing an early test for a recently formed caucus aimed at protecting agency watchdogs.

The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a rare bipartisan letter to President Trump demanding an explanation for his firing of 17 inspectors general (IG) in one night. The rebuke said Trump violated the law by failing to give Congress 30 days’ notice and a rationale for the removal for each of the watchdogs

A majority of the U.S. Senate on Monday backed President Donald Trump's nomination of Scott Bessent to be Treasury secretary and thus a leading voice in managing the country's economic, fiscal and sanctions policies,

Bessent, 62, is a longtime hedge fund manager, Trump donor and adviser. He'll be the point person for Trump on a host of key economic issues.

The US Senate confirmed Scott Bessent as the next secretary of the Treasury, becoming the chief economic spokesman for President Donald Trump and his sweeping agenda of tax cuts, deregulation and trade rebalancing.