GOP Passes Mnuchin Nomination Out of Committee Without Democrats

PRESS RELEASE

GOP Passes Mnuchin Nomination Out of Committee Without Democrats

Feb. 1, 2017 (EIRNS)—Senate Finance Committee Republicans suspended the rules of the Senate today, in order to get hedge fund speculator and Glass-Steagall opponent Steve Mnuchin’s nomination as U.S. Treasury Secretary through the Senate Finance Committee today.

The Republicans unanimously "suspended the rules" that require at least one Democrat to be present to conduct business. The Finance Committee Republicans then unanimously passed the nominations of Rep. Tom Price as Health and Human Services Committee head, and speculator and George Soros hit-man Steve Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary.

Under the suspension procedure, the nominees can come before the full Senate for a confirmation vote as soon as tomorrow, Thursday, but one, single senator can block the vote by putting a "Hold" on it.

On Tuesday, Finance Committee Democrats boycotted scheduled votes on both nominations, of Mnuchin and Price, citing concerns over whether the two made misleading statements during their testimony. Mnuchin, with a career in financial speculation, has yet to provide answers to written questions from Senators.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told the press, "We took some unprecedented actions today, due to the unprecedented obstruction of our colleagues." Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) proposed the rule suspension, which was approved. Finance Committee Republicans then voted unanimously to recommend the Mnuchin and Price nominations, clearing the way for full Senate floor consideration as early as tomorrow.

"They have nobody to blame but themselves," Hatch said of the panel’s Democrats, before committing to working toward restoring the committee’s normal procedures.

These nominations were cleared through committee without a single Democrat present, and that action is tantamount to transforming the U.S. Congress to a parliamentary system. Unless Republicans change this rule, too, the nominations must be on the Senate Executive Calendar for a minimum of 24 hours before the nominations go to the Senate floor for a vote. Since the Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, the only alternative now is for a Democratic Senator to place a hold on Mnuchin’s nomination in the next 24 hours.