The top Democrat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee will oppose President Trump’s picks to lead the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced late Monday he will vote against confirming Rep. Tom Price to lead HHS and Steven Mnuchin to lead Treasury. Wyden said both candidates have “seriously misled the public about issues in their backgrounds.”
“I cannot support nominees who treat disclosures like shell games and ethics laws like mere suggestions,” Wyden said in a statement. “These issues only add to the troubling fact that these nominees are pushing extreme proposals that would hurt vulnerable Americans.”
Wyden referred to reports that Price had gained access to discounted stocks at a biomedical company while he was on a congressional committee dealing with legislation that may have affected that company. The report is among several that raised some ethical concerns about Price’s investments as he influenced healthcare legislation.
The Oregon Democrat also said he wasn’t satisfied by a response from Mnuchin, who denied that a bank he once led engaged in robo-signing foreclosure documents.
Wyden’s opposition to both nominees is the latest indicator of bitter contention in Congress over several of Trump’s cabinet selections, which Democrats have mostly vowed to oppose.
