Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker were both prepared to support Sean Duffy, Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation; they had voted on Monday night to advance his nomination through the Senate, and Kim had also voted in favor of Duffy in committee last week. But when the time came to confirm Duffy yesterday, both New Jersey senators voted no.
The reason why: the Trump White House’s order from Monday night freezing vast swaths of federal spending, including key grants and infrastructure projects in New Jersey. The order was put on hold yesterday by a federal judge, but Kim and Booker said in a joint statement that it shook their confidence in the Trump administration’s willingness to work with them on advancing New Jersey priorities.
“While we otherwise would have supported Secretary Duffy due to the commitments he made to critical New Jersey priorities, including the Gateway Program, the actions we have seen in the past 24 hours from the Trump Administration to cut off funding for New Jersey families and carelessly delay infrastructure projects have led us to oppose his nomination,” the two senators said.
Duffy – a former Wisconsin congressman who now lives in New Jersey – was ultimately confirmed 77-22, with 24 Democrats joining every Republican in supporting him.
Kim had already been through the same roller-coaster once before, when Duffy came before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. While the senator had been planning to vote for Duffy in committee, a prior Trump order suspending funds for major infrastructure projects like the Gateway tunnel under the Hudson River made him reconsider; he ultimately stayed the course and supported Duffy, but with some hesitation.
“While I will be voting ‘yes’ on Mr. Duffy as he’s committed to me personally a willingness to work together on key issues of infrastructure, public transit, and safety, I strongly oppose the new Executive Orders made by President Trump halting funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law and other laws,” Kim said last week, shortly before the committee hearing on Duffy’s nomination. “If he is confirmed, I will be pressing Mr. Duffy to follow the law and honor the commitments he made to New Jersey so that we can ensure projects like Gateway can be seen through.”
Duffy is the sixth Trump Cabinet nominee to be confirmed, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Kim and Booker voted for Rubio and Ratcliffe and against the controversial Hegseth; the two senators split on Noem, whom Kim supported and Booker opposed, and Bessent, who got only Booker’s support.
But given the havoc Trump’s recent executive actions have caused, both senators may take a harder look at future nominees. Democrats are already calling for a slowdown on the nomination of Office of Management and Budget nominee Russell Vought, and other nominees could come under closer scrutiny as well.
“Donald Trump needs to know that if he’s going to use the levers of government to harm working families, we’re going to stand in his way,” Kim and Booker said. “People will be hurt because this administration simply doesn’t care about them. We will continue to stand up and work to make sure the support that New Jersey needs is delivered and not blocked by President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional actions.”
RELATED ARTICLES
-
December 15, 2020 -
-
June 21, 2019