Liberals push for blockade of US president’s Cabinet picks

Liberals push for blockade of US president’s Cabinet picks

February 01, 2017
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, right, Democrat of New York, speaks alongside US House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, second left, and other members of Congress as demonstrators protest against US President Donald Trump and his administration’s ban of travelers from 7 countries by Executive Order, during a rally outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Monday. — AFP
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, right, Democrat of New York, speaks alongside US House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, second left, and other members of Congress as demonstrators protest against US President Donald Trump and his administration’s ban of travelers from 7 countries by Executive Order, during a rally outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Monday. — AFP

WASHINGTON — Democrats are racing to respond to the wave of liberal outrage triggered by President Donald Trump, jumping into protests, organizing rallies and vowing to block more of the new president’s nominees — including, possibly, his pick for the Supreme Court.

Those steps may not be enough to satisfy their increasingly aggressive party base.

Following a second weekend of protests, a growing number of liberal leaders are demanding a filibuster of Trump’s pick for the high court, setting the party on a path of fierce opposition to Trump and potential confrontation with their own elected officials.

“I hope Democrats will stand up and use every tool in their toolbox including a filibuster,” said former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, one of the top candidates to be the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

But Senate Democrats remain wary of a total blockade, arguing the party should hold off making a decision until it can assess the choice. Trump says he will announce his nominee on Tuesday evening. “I want to make sure we thoroughly review the record and then go forward,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who faces re-election in 2018. “We’ll need to do a lot of work on any of them.”

In the weeks after Trump’s election, Democrats debated whether the party should work with the new president on discrete policy initiatives, like infrastructure, or present a wall of opposition. As protests sprang forth across the country, their furious constituents made it clear they’re demanding nothing short of complete resistance.

Hundreds of demonstrators, chanting “Just Say No!” and “Obstruct!,” shouted down Sen. Sheldon White House at a Sunday community event, protesting the Rhode Island Democrat’s vote in favor of new CIA director Mike Pompeo.
Last week, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren faced an outpouring of anger after she cast a committee vote for Ben Carson, the former Republican presidential candidate nominated to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development. She was forced to explain her position in a Facebook post that began: “OK, let’s talk about Dr. Ben Carson.”

And more than 3,500 people have signed up on Facebook to march across Brooklyn to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s home Tuesday night to protest his support for three of Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

“We need Senate Democrats to do everything in their power to shut down business as usual in the Senate,” said Anna Galland, the executive director of Moveon.org, a liberal group that’s been involved in organizing weekly anti-Trump protests.

The national party hopes to ride the energy of airport protests, women’s marches and dozens of other actions across the country to electoral victories in governor races this year and next year’s congressional midterms.


February 01, 2017
HIGHLIGHTS