Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Emphasizing Senate Democrats’ Commitment To Thorough And Enlightening Cabinet Confirmation Hearings
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the upcoming Cabinet confirmation hearings, which will help the American people to see the values of the Trump Administration. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
This week, the American people will see for the first time what kind of Trump Administration they are going to get in the coming years: one that will fight for working people, or one that will fight for the swamp.
Over the next four days, over a dozen of the President-elect’s nominees will testify in committee and make their case to the country.
These hearings, in a very real way, are the opening salvo for holding the Trump Administration accountable to the public. So today, I want to talk a little bit about how Senate Democrats will approach these hearings, to uphold our promise to stand up for America’s working and middle class.
These hearings will be the very first real opportunity to get the Trump Administration on record regarding who they will fight for – working people or the special interests?
Our approach will be this: we will use these hearings to show the contrast between Donald Trump’s agenda of helping the special interests – especially the very wealthy – and Democrats’ agenda to fight for working Americans.
Nominees should expect tough, candid, but fair questioning. They should come prepared to be honest about everything – their backgrounds, their experiences, and their commitment to increasing opportunity for all Americans, not just those at the top. They will also be asked tough questions about where they stand on President-elect’s stated policies on things that will hurt the middle class, such as tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy, and undermining policies that lower drug prices.
Now, if the President-elect’s nominees demonstrate that they are qualified, and committed to lowering costs, increasing wages, and strengthening our security, Democrats will take that very seriously.
But if the President-elect’s nominees are going to push policies that make inflation worse, and put more money in the pocket of special interests, or duck those important questions, they will be put on the record about their views for all the American people to see.
That is why Democrats have insisted on regular order for the President-elect’s nominees. A thorough nominations process ensures the American people know precisely who these nominees are, and who they will fight for.
Unfortunately, a troubling pattern emerged last week from some Republican chairs who seem eager to rush the nominations process without fully getting all the necessary documentation.
Getting documents is not trivial busywork. These are financial disclosures, ethics agreements, and FBI background investigations. If these nominees have something to hide, these documents could show it, so it’s important we don’t rush to hearings without examining the record first.
The more Senate Republicans try to rush the process without proper documentation, the more Americans will ask themselves: what are Republicans and their nominees trying to hide?
How can Americans trust, for example, that Donald Trump’s cabinet will be free from conflicts of interest if Republicans hold hearings before anyone is getting a chance to view financial disclosures?
How can Americans trust that these nominees will serve the public interest, if we don’t first examine all their ethics agreements?
How can Americans trust that Senate Republicans will do what’s best for the American people, if they are more focused on keeping Donald Trump happy than examining every nominee carefully?
If these nominees will push policies that make Americans’ lives worse, Americans deserve to know it, and we can determine that with a complete, thorough, and exhaustive nomination process.
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