[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S24]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Sara Bailey

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm 
Sara Bailey, nominated to lead the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy.
  Ms. Bailey, like so many of President Trump's nominees, was chosen 
for her loyalty and MAGA bona fides, rather than any policy expertise 
or leadership experience. Ms. Bailey has spent years fanning flames of 
division and hatred in this country, attacking immigrants, Members of 
Congress, and praising dictators who indiscriminately strip the rights 
of their citizens.
  America is experiencing a drug crisis. Illegal narcotics trafficked 
from other countries and the abuse of prescription opioids have taken 
the lives of too many people. This great challenge demands an 
experienced, accomplished leader to serve as drug czar. Past nominees 
have been law enforcement professionals who have taken down drug 
smuggling rings, State public health experts, or physicians with a deep 
understanding of addiction. Ms. Bailey lacks any serious qualifications 
for this role. She is not a physician or addiction specialist. She has 
never been a prosecutor or law enforcement official.
  To prove her MAGA loyalty to President Trump, she endorsed the 
President's irresponsible and deadly plans to cut funding to the High 
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, which is on the frontlines of 
keeping illegal drugs off our streets and out of our country. If she 
were an expert on addiction, Ms. Bailey would know that kneecapping the 
Federal Agencies that provide substance abuse and mental health 
services would have deadly consequences.
  With his recent pardon of high-profile drug kingpin and former 
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and his nomination of Ms. 
Bailey, President Trump has proven once again that he prioritizes 
loyalty and political favors ahead of the safety and well-being of the 
American people.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose her nomination.