Durbin Votes Against President Trump's Nominee For DHS, Chad Wolf
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, today spoke against the nomination of Chad Wolf to be the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Under Secretary for Policy. Reports indicate that President Donald Trump will appoint Mr. Wolf as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security if he is confirmed as Under Secretary. Mr. Wolf was confirmed by a vote of 54-41.
“So is Chad Wolf the right person to run the Department of Homeland Security, one of the most important law enforcement agencies? His main qualification appears to be Chief of Staff and top advisor to former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen,” Durbin said. “As far back as December of 2017, Wolf was Acting Chief of Staff to Secretary Nielsen. He sent the Justice Department a list of 16 options for deterring undocumented immigrants – number two on the list, ‘separate family units.’ His fingerprints are all over zero tolerance.”
Durbin continued, “Mr. Wolf was also intimately involved in the Trump Administration’s efforts to use Dreamers as bargaining chips to advance the President’s anti-immigrant agenda… In another Administration, involvement in family separation and DACA repeal would be grounds for dismissal. In the Trump Administration, it’s grounds for a promotion – promotion to become the Acting Secretary… I urge my colleagues to oppose the nomination of Mr. Wolf.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor are available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
In less than three years of the Trump Administration, there have already been four heads of the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Wolf would be the fifth person to run DHS, and the third acting secretary. By contrast, President Obama and President Bush each had three Homeland Security Secretaries during all eight years of their respective Administrations.
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