Trump’s corrupt, dangerous, unqualified Cabinet nominees were all chosen for their personal loyalty to him and forced on the GOP-controlled Senate to demonstrate his power. Among the worst and most dangerous is Kash Patel, an unqualified MAGA fanatic and “deep state” conspiracist who would abuse the FBI’s law enforcement powers to go after Trump’s perceived political enemies. Despite united Democratic opposition, all Republicans supported his nomination, and a final Senate vote’s imminent.

I am calling on Senators Merkley and Wyden to continue leading the fight against Trump’s unqualified nominees—reminding GOP colleagues that voting for Patel to please a lame-duck bully or protect their right flank in a primary is an abdication of their constitutional responsibility, places our system of justice under threat, and makes them complicit in all the harm he causes—which Democrats will regularly publicize.

 In less than 4 weeks, the Trump/Musk regime has completely erased Congress’ legislative and funding role. Court intervention has provided some relief, but only Congress has the power to stop the coup. GOP legislators have ceded their power, so it is up to Congressional Democrats to protect the programs and funding on which Americans rely. To do so, requires all Congressional Democrats to turn their caucuses into a real opposition party, promising not to further enable Trump’s destructive agenda, and providing daily updates to the American people exposing GOP actions that impoverish the American people and how Dems are, instead, working to protect their interests.

By dissolving US AID, in clear disregard for the law and the Constitution, and summarily voiding legally binding contracts with consultants and sub-contractors here and abroad, Trump and Musk, have touched off a global humanitarian catastrophe, which will likely lead to the death of millions in the next few weeks—at which point they’ll become mass murders. Congress cannot let this happen.

Those who thought they were voting for cheaper eggs last November were not voting to end birthright citizenship, send ICE into schools, use government funds to build mass detention centers, and turn Guantanamo Bay into an incarceration camp for immigrants. It’s time for the legislature to reassert its authority. We are not governed by Executive Orders but rather by the rule of law.

Trump’s corrupt, dangerous, unqualified Cabinet nominees were all chosen for their personal loyalty to him, not for their expertise. Among the most dangerous are Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., nominated to lead HHS, and Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to be Director of National Intelligence. Both passed out of committee last week on party line votes, and the full Senate will take up their nominations this week, beginning February 10.

I am calling on Senators Merkley and Wyden to continue leading the fight—reminding colleagues that Senator voting for them will be complicit in the harms they cause both here and abroad, and urging Senate Democrats to refuse to move any nominations forward until Trump lifts the freezes, removes Musk and his posse from agencies they’ve infiltrated, restores the status quo, and promises his department heads will  enforce all federal laws.

As early as Thursday, Russell Vought, a Christian nationalist extremist, author of Project 2025, and the man behind the funding freeze that brought vital health programs, lifesaving research infrastructure investment and much more here and abroad to a screeching halt, might be up for confirmation as OMB Director. Although his belief that presidents can withhold and even redirect congressionally mandated spending, should, by itself, be disqualifying, GOP Senators, fearful of Trump’s and Musk’s wrath, remain unconcerned, requiring Democrats to do everything in their power to prevent this dangerous outcome.

Senators Merkley and Wyden have been leading the charge against Trump’s outrageous nominations, for which we are thankful, but they need to do more—convincing their colleagues to commit to slowing down, and possibly preventing, Vought’s and other controversial confirmations, making sure that all Senate business grinds to a halt until this coup is reversed and Musk is sent home. In addition to voting “no” on Vought and all other pending nominees, Democrats must:

• Place blanket holds on them all until Congress affirms that the Impoundment Act of 1974 is the law of the land and Trump’s and Musk’s coup is reversed;

• Use every procedural tool available—forcing roll-call votes and quorum calls, blocking unanimous consent, and using all 30 hours of debate on Vought to expose Project 2025, Musk’s Treasury and other takeovers, and the funding freeze;

• Hold Republicans accountable for their failure to oppose Trump’s and Musk’s unconstitutional behavior.

Trump and Musk are orchestrating an illegal and unconstitutional hostile takeover of the federal government, and Russell Vought, if confirmed, will help them do it. The time for bipartisanship is over. Senate Democrats must play procedural hardball to shut down Trump’s agenda, using all procedural tools available to grind Senate business to a halt and force Republicans to feel the political cost of supporting this cruel and unconstitutional power grab. Our MoCs must also use all forums available to expose Trump’s cruel agenda—enriching billionaires by killing the programs benefiting everyone else. 

Trump has nominated Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), making her responsible for overseeing the intelligence community and safeguarding America’s national security. This entails protecting U.S. interests, ensuring unbiased intelligence analysis, and maintaining the independence of agencies like the CIA and NSA. 

Gabbard is completely unqualified for this position. She has zero intelligence experience, has amplified Russian propaganda, has sided with foreign adversaries, and has cosied up to the recently deposed Syrian dictator. National security experts and veterans consider her “a very dangerous choice for DNI, because she’d likely make the U.S. more vulnerable to foreign adversaries and political influence. 

Gabbard will be appearing before the Intelligence Committee for a hearing on her nomination on Thursday, January 30. As your constituent, I urge you to convince your colleagues to use this opportunity to explain to the American people how unprepared and dangerous she would be to the safety and security of our nation and to remind them that any Senator voting for her will be complicit in the harms she causes both here and abroad. 

Trump has nominated Kash Patel to be FBI Director. A long-time MAGA loyalist, conspiracy theorist, and right wing attack dog, lacking in experience and expertise, Patel plans to politicize the FBI and weaponize it against anyone thought to be disloyal to Trump—journalists, government officials, nonprofit organizations, and even ordinary Americans—and his vow to punish everyone who refused to promote the Big Lie about the 2020 election, makes him an extremely dangerous FBI Director.

Patel will be appearing before the Judiciary Committee for a hearing on his nomination on Thursday, January 30. As your constituent, I urge you to convince your colleagues to use this opportunity to explain to the American people how dangerous Patel’s weaponization of our justice system will be and to remind them that any Senator voting for him will be complicit in the harms he will cause to innocent Americans, the rule of law, and democracy itself.

On Thursday, January 30, 2025, members of the Senate budget Committee, on which Senator Wyden sits, must decide whether to send Russell Vought’s nomination for OMB Director to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote. Because his confirmation would supercharge MAGA authoritarianism and directly threaten our democracy, working families, and the future of our planet, derailing his nomination as soon as possible is necessary. 

t is clear that, if confirmed, Vought, the architect of Project 2025, will work to empower an already reckless and authoritarian Executive Branch and harm millions of people around the country who depend on federally funded programs. Does the Senate want to protect critical climate investments, job-creating infrastructure programs, and the rights of working families or vote for a nominee who would burn it all down for political gain?

I am calling on my Senators to make clear to the American people what they will face if Russell Vought’s confirmed and to do everything in their power to prevent his nomination from moving forward.

On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee must decide whether to send the nomination of Pam Bondi to be Attorney General to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote. Because she has demonstrated that she will not vigorously enforce America’s civil rights laws and will not uphold the agency’s long-standing independence from undue political influences, she should be considered disqualified from serving as Attorney General.

Bondi’s participation in and support for Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and her refusal at her confirmation hearing to directly answer questions about her ability to impartially administer justice raise serious doubts about her devotion to the rule of law, her professional legal judgment, and her ability to lead the DOJ fairly without undue influence from Trump.

So do her voter disenfranchisement activities, her defense of Florida’s ban of same-sex marriages after the Supreme Court invalidated a similar federal law, her support for restrictions on abortion and contraceptives, her attempts to declare the ACA unconstitutional, her support for a census citizenship question, and her refusal to denounce Trump’s dangerous anti-immigrant rhetoric or to admit birthright citizenship was the law of the land all clearly demonstrate that she lacks the commitment to defending the core tenets of our democracy and the civil and human rights of all people in America.

For these reasons, as your constituent, I urge you to oppose the nomination of Pam Bondi for Attorney General and to do everything in your power to convince a majority of the Judiciary Committee that, because she is profoundly unqualified to be Attorney General, her nomination should die in Committee. 

Vaccine skepticism and other anti-science conspiracy theories are deadly. As HHS Secretary, Kennedy would do untold damage to our health care and public health infrastructure, to the detriment of millions of Americans.

Any senator voting for him will be complicit in the harm he will cause to public health and the lives of America’s children.

Our MoCs must convince colleagues to oppose Kennedy’s nomination for HHS Secretary in the Finance Committee on 1/29 and in the HELP Committee on 1/20 and vote against him on the Senate floor if his nomination gets that far.

Americans deserve leaders who will prioritize the needs of everyday people over Trump’s need for revenge against his perceived enemies and his debts to extremists, his billionaire friends, and the special interests chafing at government regulations . Our MoCs must use their role in the nomination process to shape the narrative and explain to the American people how Trump’s nominees, if confirmed, will use their power to serve his interests rather than ours

The US is the only developed country in the world that does not define healthcare for its citizens as a human right. When UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot on December 4^th, it triggered a national conversation filled with collective anger. We should harness the zeitgeist. Demand single payer health insurance and ban for-profit healthcare for good.