Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced she will freeze out President Donald Trump’s nomination for the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau until she has more answers on the potential director’s role in the current border immigration policy.
Monday, Trump announced his intentions to nominate Kathy Kraninger as the next director of the CFPB. He made that announcement official when he sent the nomination to the Senate on Wednesday.
But now, Warren is threatening to freeze out the nomination due to the border immigration crisis and questions surrounding Kraninger’s role in the policy.
At the beginning of April, the Trump administration began enforcing its zero tolerance policy at the border, which has resulted in the separation of 2,300 children from their parents since that time. Pictures and even audio clips circling media outlets have sparked outrage as Americans – both Republicans and Democrats – condemn the situation.
In fact, all five living First Ladies have spoken out against the separation of these children from their parents, saying it is inhumane and something must be done to stop it.
And now, Warren is demanding answers pertaining to Kraninger’s role in the policy.
“We write seeking documents and other information about your role in the development and implementation of the Trump Administration’s “Zero-Tolerance Policy” which has led the Administration to separate thousands of young children from their parents,” Warren wrote in a joint letter with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, addressed to Kraninger.
Demanding answers today with @SenWarren about exactly what role Kraninger has played in developing and implementing this appalling and cruel process before moving forward with her nomination to head the @CFPB. #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/9MUSMNpnN1
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) June 19, 2018
From the letter:
Since March 2017, you have served as the Program Associate Director for General Government Programs at the Office of Management and Budget. In that role, you oversee seven Executive Branch agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. That oversight role involves not only preparing the President’s annual budget request for those agencies, but also providing “ongoing policy and management guidance,” “oversee[ing] implementation of policy options,” and working with agencies throughout the year as they shift money to implement new legislation or Administration policy.
The letter states that, due to Kraninger’s role at the OMB, she could have been involved in the creation and implementation of the current zero tolerance policy. The letter goes on to make six requests of Kraninger to determine her involvement, saying, “the American people deserve to know what role you have played in developing and implementing this appalling process.”
Here are the requests:
1. A complete description of any role you have played in OMB budgetary or policy decisions, analyses, or recommendations related to DOJ’s Zero-Tolerance Policy, DHS’s implementation of the changes stemming from this policy, and the separation of children from their parents who were detained under such policy. Please include a list of all meetings you attended (in person or by telephone or other electronic means) related to these budgetary or policy decisions, analyses, or recommendations, the topics discussed in these meetings, and a list of all other attendees of these meetings.
2. All emails and other documents related to your communications with DOJ officials related to the development and implementation of DOJ’s Zero-Tolerance Policy and the separation of children from their parents who were detained under such policy.
3. All emails and other documents related to your communications with DHS officials regarding the DHS role in separation of children from their parents who were detained under the DOJ Zero-Tolerance policy.
4. All emails and other documents related to your communications with White House officials, including Senior Advisor to the President Stephen Miller, related to the development of the Zero-Tolerance Policy, DHS’s implementation of changes stemming from the Zero-Tolerance Policy, or the separation of children from their parents who were detained under the Zero-Tolerance policy.
5. Any final or draft OMB analyses, recommendations, or budgetary or policy decisions in which you were involved related to the DOJ Zero-Tolerance Policy, or related to DHS role in this policy, including DHS’s role in the separation of children from their parents who were detained under the DOJ Zero-Tolerance Policy, and any emails, or other communications related to these final or draft recommendations, or budgetary or policy decisions.
6. All emails and other documents relating to your involvement with the Zero-Tolerance Policy, including the approval of new or reprogrammed funds for: the construction or acquisition of new detention facilities; salaries; travel and overtime for DHS personnel; resources for additional criminal or immigration enforcement; or travel costs for repatriation.
However, there’s a major catch to Warren’s hold up of the nomination: It might be just what the administration wants.
Already, several groups have begun to comment that Kraninger's nomination is simply a ploy to keep current Acting Director Mick Mulvaney at the helm for a while longer.
And while Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services Maxine Waters, D-Calif., will not play a role in the nomination process, she still is still commenting on Trump’s pick, urging members of the Senate to reject the nomination.
Demanding answers today with @SenWarren about exactly what role Kraninger has played in developing and implementing this appalling and cruel process before moving forward with her nomination to head the @CFPB. #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/9MUSMNpnN1
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) June 19, 2018
But if the Senate rejects the nomination, Trump will have 210 more days to choose a new permanent director as Mulvaney continues to lead the CFPB. Either way, Trump’s pick will lead the CFPB whether the Senate delays the confirmation process, rejects Kraninger entirely or passes her through quickly.
