2020ers voting on Trump Cabinet confirmations megathread

[kydmb99]

Every senator should be doing everything in their power to get Mattis through before Trump hears his comments on Russia and changes his mind

[justfollowingtheelections]

The House Armed Services committee also voted and every single Democrat (Gabbard, Castro etc.) voted NO.

[The Other Castro]

It's also possible some of those No votes might end up as Yes votes on the actual confirmation.

[Kingpoleon]

The House Armed Services committee also voted and every single Democrat (Gabbard, Castro etc.) voted NO.

I'm surprised Seth Moulton and Jim Cooper voted no...

[Mr. Morden]

Klobuchar says she'll vote against Sessions:

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/01/13/franken-says-he-will-oppose-sessions

I'm assuming all the 2020ers will end up voting against Sessions.

[The Other Castro]

Chris Murphy will actually introduce his former rival Linda McMahon for her SBA confirmation hearing. He's saying a lot of nice things about her.

http://www.theday.com/article/20170114/NWS05/170119578
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Blumenthal-Murphy-McMahon-make-nice-10856883.php

[SCNCmod]

I think Dems would be smart to support Rex Tillerson.  He will be very popular as SOS... and seems like he is not an ideologue ... and that he will do a good job (despite some of his semantics over lobbying & subsidies).  This would also give them credibility for opposing other noms.

[Mr. Morden]

Booker just used his time at the Nikki Haley confirmation hearing to ask her if she'll advocate for LGBT rights in other countries and if she'll push for access to contraception in the developing world.  The 2020 Dems seem to be sneaking domestic political fights into their questioning of Cabinet nominees for foreign policy positions. 

[RINO Tom]

Can honestly say that Sessions came across as likable, and I will suspend my dislike of him until I can do more research on his past.

[Mr. Morden]

The Armed Services Committee voted to confirm Mattis by 26-1, with Gillibrand being the only “no” vote.  Meaning that Warren voted to confirm:

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/james-mattis-defense-secretary-233782

[Hillary Lost]

What do you Democrats think of Trump's cabinet picks?  Do they make you squirm?

[Figueira]

What do you Democrats think of Trump's cabinet picks?  Do they make you squirm?

Yes.

[Mr. Morden]

Gillibrand got passionate during the questioning of Pruitt:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/gillibrand-to-pruitt-i-need-you-to-care-about-human-health/2017/01/18/1a407a06-dda5-11e6-8902-610fe486791c_video.html

[SCNCmod]

What do you Democrats think of Trump's cabinet picks?  Do they make you squirm?

DeVos ... Absolutely Awful- she has Zero experience in (or advocating for) Public Education.  Totally Unqualified.  There has to be a Republican that is for school choice... but at least has some experience or history working to improve Public Education also.

Tillerson, Haley, Mattis .... all seem to be good

[NeederNodder]

What do you Democrats think of Trump's cabinet picks?  Do they make you squirm?

Its dreadful.

[Mr. Morden]

Booker says he'll be voting against Tillerson:

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/Cory-Booker-no-Trump-state-Rex-Tillerson.html

[Sorenroy]

Booker just used his time at the Nikki Haley confirmation hearing to ask her if she'll advocate for LGBT rights in other countries and if she'll push for access to contraception in the developing world.  The 2020 Dems seem to be sneaking domestic political fights into their questioning of Cabinet nominees for foreign policy positions. 

I don't know if that's only a domestic thing. Promoting LGBTQ rights in nations around the world seems like it would fall under the promotion of American values, which I thought was one of the main jobs of the SoS and UN Ambassador. In fact, it appears that there is a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons, set up by the United States. Not exactly sure what the job entails, but I assume it's more than lip service. Seems like there is an international push by the United States for expanded rights for LGBTQ persons.

[houseonaboat]

I think Dems would be smart to support Rex Tillerson.  He will be very popular as SOS... and seems like he is not an ideologue ... and that he will do a good job (despite some of his semantics over lobbying & subsidies).  This would also give them credibility for opposing other noms.

I agree but it'll be framed as a vote for the oil/gas industry, which is a non-starter in a Democratic primary.

[Mr. Morden]

The waiver passes the full Senate, 81-17:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/full-senate-passes-waiver-allowing-mattis-to-be-defense-secretary/article/2611684

Klobuchar voted in favor of the waiver, while Booker, Gillibrand, Sanders, and Warren all voted no.

Looks like in the House vote, only one Republican voted no....none other than (IMHO, potential Trump primary challenger) Justin Amash:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll059.xml

[Mr. Morden]

Mattis was confirmed by the Senate 98-1, and Gillibrand was the sole no vote:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/20/senate-confirms-first-trump-cabinet-pick-defense-secretary-james-mattis/96841458/

[The Other Castro]

John Kelly confirmed by Senate 88-11, with all nays coming from Dems: Blumenthal, Booker, Cortez-Masto, Gillibrand, Harris, Heinrich, Merkley, Udall, Van Hollen, Wyden, Warren

[Mr. Morden]

Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Tillerson on a party line vote, meaning that Booker voted against confirmation:

https://twitter.com/BretBaier/status/823663164806012928

[Mr. Morden]

Btw, while the actual confirmation vote for Pompeo is expected to happen tonight, on Friday the Senate made a procedural vote to proceed to proceed to consider Pompeo's nomination, and only 8 Senators voted no, and those 8 included Booker, Gillibrand, Sanders, and Warren:

link

Prospective 2020 presidential candidates definitely seem to be overrepresented among the no's on these votes so far.  Booker, Gillibrand, and Warren in particular all voted against this procedural motion on Pompeo, all voted against confirming John Kelly, and all voted against the waiver for Mattis (though only Gillibrand then voted against confirming Mattis once the waiver went through).  In contrast, more than half of the Senate Democratic caucus (including Klobuchar, btw) has voted yes on all of the above.

I'm assuming that Booker, Gillibrand, and Warren have concluded that voting against confirmation for most of Trump's Cabinet is the safer option re: not creating problems for themselves among 2020 Dem. primary voters.  But most of the Cabinet hasn't been voted on yet, so we'll see if this continues.

[Mr. Morden]

Full Senate confirms Pompeo for CIA.  Klobuchar is one of the 15 Democratic yes votes:

https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/823705832768634881

Booker, Brown, Harris, Sanders, Warren all vote no.

[Mr. Morden]

Sherrod Brown says he'll vote to confirm Ben Carson:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sherrod-brown-ben-carson-hud_us_58877431e4b070d8cad56450