Press Releases
"All Americans should be deeply concerned by the reports that Russian agencies have interfered with a U.S. election. As Speaker Ryan noted, ‘any foreign intervention in our elections is entirely unacceptable.'
"The first duty of the United States government is to safeguard the American people and the integrity of our free society from attacks by foreign adversaries. Cyberattacks on our political institutions are direct threats to their integrity and are just as menacing as attacks on our economic, physical, and military infrastructure.
"To ensure the continued operation of the federal government, I voted in favor of the Continuing Resolution, also known as the CR. This legislation extends funding levels for the federal government through April 28, 2017. Aside from necessary government funding, the bill also contains critical funding for the people of Flint, Michigan, the 21st Century Cures Act, and resources to prevent the continued rise in opioid abuse.
"I have grave concerns about the judgment of Lt. General Michael Flynn. He has regularly engaged in the reckless public promotion of conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact, with disregard for the risks that giving credence to those theories could pose to the public. The National Security Adviser is responsible for filtering and assessing crucial information pertaining to the national defense. Someone who is so oblivious to the facts, or intentionally ignorant of them, should not be entrusted with policy decisions that affect the safety of the American people.
"With the nomination of Dr. Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), President-elect Donald Trump has chosen a disturbingly unqualified individual for a key leadership position in his administration. The HUD Secretary has the critical role of building strong, sustainable and inclusive communities that provide access to quality affordable homes for all. Dr. Carson has absolutely no experience to even remotely prepare him for the serious responsibility of leading a federal agency that directly impacts the quality of life of so many Americans.
"General Mattis has served the United States tirelessly, with admirable distinction. However, the unusual circumstances of his nomination raise serious questions about fundamental principles of our Constitutional order. Civilian control of the military is not something to be casually cast aside.
"This bill makes a valuable contribution to our country's national security. While it does not contain everything we could have hoped for, the bill includes a number of positive improvements to U.S. defense policy. It wisely avoids earlier efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals, erode the Endangered Species Act, undermine labor laws, and much besides. Instead, it focuses on efforts to advance the defense of the United States, and I believe it succeeds in doing so."
"Today, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advisory panel has recommended that U.S immigration authorities be directed to maintain their current use of private detention facilities. I am extremely disappointed by this announcement, as this policy will continue the status quo of systemic problems in our immigration detention system that we know must be fixed.
"President-elect Trump has continued to produce dangerous and unhinged rhetoric. His recent statement regarding the ‘millions of people who voted illegally' is completely unacceptable given there is absolutely no evidence of voter fraud. Trump's actions only serve to undermine the system of government that he is preparing to lead in 50 days.
"With the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as the 84th Attorney General for the United States, President-elect Donald Trump has selected a documented racist to be a member of his cabinet.
"I am extremely disturbed that as one of his first decisions as President-elect, Donald Trump has announced his appointment of Steven Bannon as White House Chief Strategist. Mr. Bannon is the Executive Chairman of the website Breitbart News, where he has repeatedly and aggressively pushed stories that promote Anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and racism. Under Mr. Bannon's leadership, Breitbart has served as a "platform for the alt-right," a movement that supports White Nationalism and openly rejects the value of diversity.