Washington, DC – Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, expressed concerns about four nominees put forth by the Trump administration during a committee meeting. Warren criticized the nominees, emphasizing the influence of co-Presidents Trump and Elon Musk on federal agencies.
In her remarks, Warren questioned the nominees' ability to enforce the law and uphold the Constitution, stating: “My litmus test for the panel before us today and any executive branch nominee is: will they enforce the law and uphold our constitution, or will they just simply bend a knee to the orders of co-Presidents Trump and Musk?”
Warren accused the Trump administration of dismantling federal agencies, citing recent layoffs of 10,000 federal employees in critical health agencies such as the Center for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes for Health. She stated these agencies are crucial for handling issues like avian flu, access to prescription drugs, and medical research.
The Senator criticized two of the nominees, Mr. Atkins and Mr. Gould, for their previous tenures at the agencies they are nominated to lead. Warren described Atkins’s past actions as incorrect during the financial crisis, accusing him of helping "billionaire scammers like CEO Sam Bankman-Fried." She also questioned Gould’s track record during the first Trump administration, stating, "Mr. Gould weakened the rules and helped undermine the safety and soundness of our national banking system as the OCC's Chief Counsel."
Further, Warren expressed concern about Mr. Pettit's potential compliance with the deregulatory agenda and acknowledged Mr. Molinaro's support for public transportation and transit workers. However, she warned about potential undermining actions from the White House and Musk.
Warren concluded by declaring that she would not support the confirmation of these officials, emphasizing the destructive actions by "co-Presidents Trump and Musk" against the agencies in question.