Wyden, Colleagues Demand Trump And Thune to Stop Gutting Independent Agencies, Blocking Democratic Nominees, And Handing Bipartisan Watchdogs To Loyalists

Wyden, Colleagues Demand Trump And Thune to Stop Gutting Independent Agencies, Blocking Democratic Nominees, And Handing Bipartisan Watchdogs To Loyalists

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined his fellow Senate Democratic Ranking Members to demand Republicans stop the Trump administration's concerted efforts to undermine independent agencies.

Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and the other senators expressed concern over Trump's refusal to nominate or confirm Democratic commissioners and board members for openings that are required to have bipartisan membership, which threatens Americans' safety and undermines our democracy.

"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," the senators wrote to Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

The lawmakers emphasize that Trump has gone to great lengths to purge independent agencies of officials who oppose him. They also note he has left vacancies unfilled at numerous agencies that Congress designed to be led by bipartisan commissions, undermining their independence and concentrating power in the hands of Trump loyalists.

"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 lawmakers wrote.

"We ask that you immediately reverse this stance, reinstate improperly terminated commissioners and board members, and publicly commit to working with the Minority Leader to fill other Democratic vacancies with qualified Democratic nominees," the senators concluded.

These concerns have been heightened by the recent nomination of Todd Blanche, Trump's personal defense attorney, to serve as Attorney General, and Bill Pulte, a Trump ally with no background in intelligence, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence.

The letter was led by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. In addition to Wyden, the letter was signed by U.S. Senate Ranking Members Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Gary Peters (D-Mich., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif.

The text of the letter is here.