In 2009, Republicans were adamant about thoroughly investigating each and every one of President Barack Obama's nominees. Mitch McConnell went so far as to send a letter to then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, outlining Republicans' intention to get a full background on everyone in Obama's government.
On Monday, current Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent that note right back to McConnell.
Our requests are eminently reasonable, shared by leaders of both parties. I'll return this letter to @SenateMajLdr with the same requests. pic.twitter.com/IMT7ZtJFjV
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 9, 2017
But Schumer's letter is likely to fall on deaf ears.
Republicans don't seem bothered that a number of Trump's picks haven't disclosed their financial holdings, the Huffington Post reported Monday.
Trump's picks are being sent through a "murder board" of training for their confirmation hearings, meanwhile, preparing for everything from protesters to questions about the price of milk.
But the best answer may come from Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, who in 2013 postponed Obama's selection of Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense until they had a plethora of information. Per HuffPost:
When The Huffington Post asked Inhofe on Monday night if this same standard of disclosing foreign payments should apply to Trump’s Cabinet nominees, he said it shouldn’t.
“So it’s different now because it’s Trump?” we asked.
“That’s just right,” Inhofe said.
“That’s right?” we asked to clarify.
“Yeah,” he said.
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