A coalition of progressive organizations has launched a campaign to block President-elect Donald Trump's appointees, calling them a "cabinet of hate and Wall Street greed."
The coalition, which includes advocacy groups like Demand Progress and Democracy for America as well as issue-focused organizations like the women's rights group UltraViolet and the Latinx-led social justice group Presente Action, sent a petition to the U.S. Senate asking lawmakers to block Trump's cabinet.
"Donald Trump's first appointments to cabinet-level roles in his administration are horrifying," the petition states. "Trump's nominees and rumored picks have promoted white nationalism, attacked climate science, and used their power as Wall Street insiders and corporate lobbyists to fleece working families."
"As representatives of all Americans, you must stand up against hatred and greed. Fight to block and resist every Trump nominee who embraces racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, climate denial, and Wall Street greed," it states.
The petition names:
- Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who has been tapped to be Trump's Attorney General, describing him as an "enemy of civil rights and women's rights";
- Steve Mnuchin, former Goldman Sachs executive and Treasury Secretary appointee, who has been called the "foreclosure king";
- Wilbur Ross, named Secretary of Commerce, whose legacy includes waving off safety precautions at a West Virginia coal mine that led to the deaths of 12 workers in 2006; and
- Myron Ebell, who is one of the climate deniers rumored to be on the short-list for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator.
The appointments also contradict Trump's populist appeal and stated desire to "drain the swamp" of establishment figures and lobbyists, the coalition wrote.
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"Trump promised on election night to be 'a president for all Americans.' But the parade of horribles that Trump has nominated to his administration show he is welcoming hate right into the White House," the petition states. "The U.S. Senate has confirmation power over most of Trump's cabinet. Senators must use this power to block and resist Trump's cabinet of hate and greed."
LeeAnn Hall, co-director of People's Action, which is also a coalition member, said Tuesday, "What Trump's cabinet appointees have in common is a track record of working in their own self-interest, not public service, and amassing personal fortunes, not fighting for working families."
In 2017, the Senate will comprise 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats. If all Democrats vote against the nominees, only another two Republicans would need to stand with them to successfully block the appointments, the coalition said.
"Donald Trump may have won the Electoral College," the petition continued, "but members of the U.S. Senate should not give any support to Trump appointees espousing racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, climate denial, and corporate greed."
Other members of the coalition include organizations like Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth, and the Working Families Party, as well as progressive media outlets Daily Kos and The Nation.
