Committee member says they will vote no on three nominees, cites withheld funds and closed offices

An unnamed committee member said during a committee meeting that they will vote no on three presidential nominees, citing actions by the administration that the member described as disregarding congressional intent.

The member framed the opposition as a response to what they described as a pattern: nominees who pledged to follow the law and respect Congress’s will but then, after confirmation, ‘‘withheld funds that we have appropriated,’’ ‘‘canceled programs that we have established,’’ and ‘‘closed offices that we have created.’’

“Turning now to today's agenda item, let me simply say that under the first Trump administration, I would have been able to support all 3 of these nominees. But we have had nominee after nominee come before before this committee and assure us that they would follow the law and respect the will of congress. Then after they are confirmed, they have withheld funds that we have appropriated. They have canceled programs that we have established. They have closed offices that we have created, and they have pursued policies that we have never approved,” the committee member said.

The member concluded their remarks by saying, “Until this administration respects the will of congress, I am unable to support these nominees, and I will vote no on all 3 as a result. Thank you, mister chairman.”

The transcript does not identify the nominees by name, record a formal motion or vote tally, or show any additional response from other committee members. The remark is an expressed intention to vote no; it is not itself a formal recorded vote in the transcript.