Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his pundits are pressing ahead with confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, and there isn’t much that you or required ethics reviews can do about it. Usually, an incoming council will require a thorough background check from the federal ethics office and the FBI.
During an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation,” McConnell says that the “Democrats are really frustrated that they lost the election,” declaring that he was in a similar situation eight years ago. McConnell and his Republican colleagues still validated seven cabinet appointees – even if he was upset at President Obama’s 2009 win.
Office of Government Ethics Are Being Overloaded By Republicans
McConnell’s words stem from concerns by the Office of Governmental Ethics, with the department saying that the current lineup is putting “undue pressure” on the organization.
Several members of the incoming cabinet have only had parts of their background checks completed. Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has finished his FBI background check, but is still waiting for the results. Tentative education secretary Betsy DeVos has not submitted her ethics report, only completing the required FBI check.
McConnell’s Hypocrisy Does Not Go Unnoticed
McConnell and his pundits are wanting to rush ethics review of the incoming administration. It is important that there aren’t any conflicts of interests that are going to take advantage of their vantage points in American government.
McConnell’s representative complains, saying that Democrats are “pretty clear they intend to slow down and resist,” and that they are going to plow ahead anyway. Let’s not forget what McConnell did in 2009 – doing the opposite of what he is saying. In 2009, McConnell sent a letter to then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, demanding “financial disclosures” of the incoming administration.
McConnell said that it is the duty of his party to “conduct the appropriate review” of presidential nominations. This is the same process that is happening right now in 2017 – it seems like McConnell should let the ethics office do its job, especially since the incoming administration is a pack of deplorables.
Featured image from YouTube video.
