Reed, Dems: More Vetting Needed as Trump Nominees Drag Feet on Documents

WASHINGTON, DC – Following reports that President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees have not yet provided the relevant Senate Committees with important documentation, such as a completed financial disclosure statement, ethics agreement signed by the Office of Government Ethics, and more ahead of their confirmation hearings, the Democratic Ranking Members of 16 Committees in the United States Senate today issued the following joint statement of principles for vetting the President-elect’s nominees:

Statement of Principles for Vetting Cabinet Nominees of President-elect Donald J. Trump

“The United States Senate has a rich, bipartisan tradition of vetting nominees to the President’s Cabinet. We hope to continue that tradition with our colleagues in the Republican Majority because the American people are entitled to a fair and open consideration process for all executive nominations. Therefore, a Cabinet nomination should only proceed to a mark-up in Committee if:

• The nominee has cleared an FBI background check

• The nominee provides a completed financial disclosure statement and ethics agreement signed by the Office of Government Ethics

• The nominee has satisfied reasonable requests for additional information and Members have time to review that material.”

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

U.S. Senator Tom Carper

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

Ranking Member, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

U.S. Senator Patty Murray

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

U.S. Senator Jack Reed

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Armed Services

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Budget

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

U.S. Senator Jon Tester

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

U.S. Senator Tom Udall

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

U.S. Senator Mark Warner

Ranking Member, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Finance