[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 168 (Thursday, November 14, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S CABINET APPOINTMENTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this week, I came back to Washington with the 
idea of trying to give President Trump a chance, an open mind, hold my 
tongue a bit. It has been difficult, and it will get more difficult, it 
appears.
  I first got inspired to get into government because of John Kennedy. 
I knew every single one of John Kennedy's Cabinet members. They are 
referred to in a book as the best and the brightest. That is what we 
used to have in our Cabinet of the United States of America was the 
best and the brightest.
  What we have seen with the nominations that have come forth and the 
request for changes in the Senate's confirmation policy really is scary 
and should be of concern to the American people. It is a red light on 
the possibility of loss of democracy and the implementation and 
institution of autocracy.
  Mr. Trump asked the Senate leadership to give him a 2-week period 
where he could make Senate recess appointments, something that is 
permitted in the Constitution but was permitted because of the idea 
that back when they wrote the Constitution, if the Senate took a 
recess, it could take weeks or months before they could all get back to 
Washington by trains or horses, or however they traveled back in those 
days, in the late 1700s, to conduct business.
  That is not the case anymore. The Supreme Court has ruled in a case 
about 10, 15 years ago that--I think it was Justice Scalia who was the 
lead on the Court--this should only take place in intersession, between 
the times the Senate ends a term and begins a new term, and that is 
simply whenever they decide to take off.
  President Trump has asked. Senate leaders, candidates, and the Senate 
leader who was chosen, Mr. Thune, all said they would do it when Mr. 
Trump asked them to do it, to have a period where he could have his 
appointments for Cabinet to come forward and be approved because of 
lack of action by the Senate in what is called a recess appointment. 
That is a dereliction of the Constitution, and anybody that goes along 
with it should be questioned.
  The Senate is to act as a check and balance on the President and his 
nominations and appointments of Cabinet members. The Senate meets, has 
hearings, and votes to confirm or not to confirm nominees.
  To not have hearings, to not have votes because at least some of his 
Cabinet recommendations are so abhorrent that they would scare the 
American people, and have a spectacle of bringing forth the facts about 
their backgrounds, lack of experience, and the lack of character that 
they have shown in their times in government and life here on this 
planet--to not have hearings and to not have votes is a dereliction and 
an offense to the Constitution that has the Senate as a check and 
balance before nominees are approved.
  The worst was yesterday when Matt Gaetz was recommended for Attorney 
General. After his recommendation, and he flew back and forth to 
Washington with President-elect Trump, he announced his resignation 
from this body. By so doing, he thwarted an ethics investigation that 
has been going on in the House Ethics Committee concerning alleged 
conduct that he had had with a 17-year-old girl, sexual conduct, his 
involvement in activities using illegal drugs, use of his congressional 
powers for the benefit of people illegally, use of campaign funds for 
personal activities, and other offenses that would call for the 
expulsion of a person from this House.
  By his resigning from the House, that investigation ends because the 
Committee no longer has jurisdiction over him. He will become a nominee 
for Attorney General to go through the recess process where all of 
these facts won't come forth.
  I would hope that our Ethics Committee and the chair of the Ethics 
Committee, who has done a great job on other occasions, and I have 
great respect for, would release the results of that study to the 
American public because they should see it. They should see the work 
that has been done, and they should see the type of person who is going 
to be brought up for Attorney General of the United States, even if the 
Senate doesn't want to bring it forth with hearings.
  As I understand it, the report would be eye-opening and extremely 
damaging and should be released to the American public. They have a 
right to see it.
  The recommendation of Tulsi Gabbard to be the head of intelligence, 
when she has mostly been known for controversial statements supporting 
our foes around the world, from Syria to Russia to Iran, is disturbing 
and challenging.
  The suggestion that the Department of Defense should be led by the 
host of Fox & Friends on weekends, as his main contribution to society, 
is scary to our soldiers, who need the best and brightest at the helm.

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