Confirmation process is being pushed forward at dangerous pace, must be halted
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2017
Contact: Daniel Schuman, 202-792-4550
daniel@demandprogress.org
This week, nine of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees are set for confirmation hearings. For a majority of these nominees, the Office of Government Ethics has not yet had time to complete its review process. The Senate hearing schedule for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday also provides the latest indication that the confirmation process is being dangerously rushed: 42 senators are expected to be at multiple nomination hearings at the same time, with nine hearings overlapping others.
The following can be attributed to Demand Progress Policy Director Daniel Schuman:
"The fact that Senate committees do not yet have full ethics disclosures for all nominees is reason enough to halt the confirmation process. Sen. Mitch McConnell argued this exact point in 2009 with regards to President Obama’s nominees. Further, the rushed hearing schedule will mean 42 senators are expected to be at multiple confirmation hearings at once. This is the latest sign that the confirmation process is being pushed forward at an extremely dangerous pace, leaving the American people and their senators without the proper information, time or ability to fully examine the people that President-elect Trump nominated to some of the most powerful positions in the country."
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