Trump’s cabinet picks – PROS
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It is safe to say that President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations have turned some heads and raised a number of concerns.
However, this is hardly unexpected from the most controversial and unorthodox presidential candidate in history.
Trump ran his campaign on the promise to end the overreach of federal bureaucracy and to “drain the swamp.”
By appointing many candidates who have been openly critical of federal overreach by the department they will be leading, Trump will be making good on his promise to shake up the establishment.
However, three of his nominations in particular have had their confirmation hearings marred by controversy and claims of being unqualified — claims that could not be farther from the truth.
Rex Tillerson is by far the most high-profile of Trumps nominations, as he was nominated for the role of secretary of state based on a resume that is very similar to Trump’s.
As the CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson was chosen for the role based on his experience negotiating global business deals and running a successful business.
The main criticism that has been launched against Tillerson comes as a result of his close ties to Russia.
Here is the problem with those accusations.
Prior to becoming the CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson was directly in charge of ExxonMobil’s holdings in Russia.
Following a deal with the Russian oil company Rosneft in 2011 and expanded partnership in 2013, Tillerson received the order of friendship from Vladimir Putin.
His ties to Russia came as a result of business practices, not a desire to support Putin and Russia’s policies.
Tillerson successfully established a good relationship with Russia in order to advance the interests of his company and their stockholders.
As secretary of state, it would be his job to advance the interests of the U.S. government and the American people on the world stage — a role he is both qualified and capable to do.
Education secretary pick Betsy DeVos has met similar problems over questions regarding her qualifications.
The fact is that DeVos has chaired several education and school-choice advocacy boards including the Foundation for Excellence in Education, led by former Gov. Jeb Bush, which established a successful school voucher program in the state of Florida.
During her confirmation hearing, DeVos demonstrated that not only was she interested in the success of American students and experienced in implementing school choice programs, but that she also understands the basic laws of economics.
Sen. Bernie Sanders made it a point to ask DeVos about her stance on free college and was promptly rebuked.
“I think that (free college) is a really interesting idea, and it’s really great to consider and think about,” DeVos said.
“But I think we also have to consider the fact that there is nothing in life that is truly free. Somebody is going to pay for it.”
However, the important issue DeVos is pushing is her plan to return control of schools and curriculum to the state and local levels.
The biggest problem with Common Core is that it was written by politicians and so-called “experts” who have never taught in a classroom and fail to understand that each student learns differently.
Allowing states and local governments to take control of schools will put a stop to the failed attempts to create a one-size fits-all solution.
Trump’s pick for attorney general should be a welcome change from the past eight years of the office misusing its power.
From the Fast and Furious failure to the mangling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, former President Barrack Obama’s justice department used its power to advance a political agenda that resulted in wide-spread distrust in America’s legal system.
Jeff Sessions showed during his confirmation hearing that not only does he have the job qualifications, having served as Alabama’s attorney general and as a four-term U.S. senator, he also understands the job description.
Sessions was asked about his position on several policy issues during his confirmation hearing, particularly with regard to his record on immigration and abortion while a member of the Senate.
“I had a responsibility as a member of this body to voice my views that I believe are correct,” Sessions said.
“But that is not the attorney general’s job. The attorney general’s job is to enforce the law.”
Several of Trump’s picks for top security and military positions have already been confirmed by wide margins with bipartisan support.
Since the Republican party has the majority in the Senate, it is likely only a matter of time until the Democratic party stops stalling and the rest are also confirmed.