Peters, Schumer & Senate Democratic Ranking Members Urge President Trump to Stop Undermining Independent Age...
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senate Ranking Members Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), alongside Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are sounding the alarm to President Donald Trump and Senate Republican Leader John Thune over the administration’s concerted efforts to undermine the autonomy of independent agencies. The Senators express concerns over the president’s refusal to nominate or confirm Democratic commissioners and board members for openings that are required to have bipartisan membership.
“As Ranking Members of Committees in the Senate responsible for overseeing independent agencies, we are concerned about the White House’s lack of serious engagement with Senate Democrats to identify strong candidates to fill open positions. Rather than open meaningful discussions, the White House has shown no indication that it intends to nominate Democrats to critical roles across government,” wrote the senators.
“Congress designed these boards and commissions to be bipartisan and gave them the authority to regulate some of the most vital and significant parts of American life. But the Trump Administration appears intent on ensuring that it retains complete control over these agencies, with little interest in working in good faith with Congress. In a sharp break from precedent across Republican and Democratic administrations, you have refused in almost every instance to engage with Senate Democratic leadership in the normal process of identifying Democratic nominees to fill vacancies on independent agencies,” the senators continued.
The senators call on the administration to immediately restore officials that were improperly removed and ensure that Democratic vacancies on bipartisan commissions are filled with duly nominated Democratic appointees.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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