When They Come Asking For Contributions, Will You Recall Which Dems Voted To Confirm Trump Nominees?

Will You Blame Fetterman & Shaheen If Bessent Crashes The Economy?

Yesterday, the Senate was in session— and quickly voted 59 to 34 to confirm Trump lackey Kristi Norm as Secretary of Homeland Security, a job way above her level of competence or expertise. Seven Democrats joined all the Republicans in giving her the job:

• John Fetterman (PA)

• Maggie Hassan (NH)

• Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

• Tim Kaine (VA)

• Andy Kim (NJ)

• Gary Peters (MI)

• Elissa Slotkin (MI)

Someone from another country looking at the bipartisan nature of the vote might find it perplexing, considering Noem's reactionary policies, far right agenda and deeply unethical behavior in office. By supporting her confirmation— giving it the patina of bipartisan consensus— these 7 Democrats have endorsed policies and behavior that contradict core party values to make themselves “look good” to home state “moderates.” 

Their votes not only legitimize Noem's controversial record but also risk alienating constituents who expect their representatives to uphold principles of justice, Climate reality and ethical governance. It's imperative to hold the 7 of them accountable for their decisions, which have far-reaching implications for the nation's future. Their support for Noem raises questions about their commitment to the values they profess to uphold.

Let’s start with FEMA, which Trump already said he wants to abolish— in line with the Project 2025 agenda. Noem, who will now be in charge of disaster recovery, rejects Climate change— dismissing the idea that people are causing temperatures to rise— turned back federal climate money as governor and has been criticized for her own handling of a natural catastrophe. “She was the only governor to opt out of a new $4 billion Energy Department program that gives states money to distribute to their residents for rebates on energy-efficient home appliances and improvements. South Dakota’s share was $69 million, one of the largest amounts per capita in the nation.

She first gained national prominence not for shooting her family’s dog but for her handling of the COVID pandemic, refusing to implement mask mandates, enforcing yo enforce business closures. Her refusal to encourage vaccinations contributed to higher case rates and deaths in South Dakota— no not just irresponsible but indicative of poor leadership in a crisis, a bad quality for a secretary of Homeland Security. And that’s on top of ethical controversies, that didn’t seem to bother the 7 Democrats who backed her, including nepotism when she intervened to help her daughter secure a real estate appraiser license. 

Her governorship has been characterized by efforts to push hard-right policies on issues from abortion— she signed one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country— and LGBTQ rights to education policy, having pushed to limit discussions of race and history in schools, aligning with broader MAGA efforts to restrict so-called “critical race theory.” 

Meanwhile, Noem has pledged to revive stringent immigration measures, including dismantling programs like CBP One and reinstating the “remain in Mexico” policy. Her time in office was marked by an obvious focus on personal ambition, prioritizing her personal political ambitions over her responsibilities as governor. Her frequent appearances at national Republican events and her cultivation of a national profile suggest that she lacks the focus and dedication required for federal responsibilities. None the less, Gary Peters, top Democrat of the Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee, said he was willing to back Noem due to her commitment to handling issues on a bipartisan basis. ‘During her confirmation hearing, I pressed Governor Noem to set aside partisan ideologies and to follow the facts when it comes to the threats our communities face— whether we’re talking about securing our borders, foreign and domestic terrorism, or even increasingly devastating natural disasters,’ he said in a statement when Noem advanced out of committee. ‘Given her openness to working on a bipartisan basis to address these and other threats to our homeland security, I voted to advance her nomination out of committee and send it to the Senate floor for consideration.’”

Is that naive or disingenuous? Peters is up for reelection next year. The other Democrats who will face the voters in 2026 are John Hickenlooper (CO), Chris Coons (DE), Jon Ossoff (GA), Dick Durbin (IL)— though he’s probably retiring— Ed Markey (MA), Tina Smith (MN), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Cory Booker (NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (NM), Jeff Merkley (OR), Jack Reed (RI) and Mark Warner (VA).

Right afterwards, 15 Democrats broke with the party to support cloture in the GOP determination to confirm Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury. These Democrats should be tarred with Bessent’s Austerity agenda:

• Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE)

• Cory Booker (NJ)

• Maria Cantwell (WA)

• Chris Coons (DE)

• John Fetterman (PA)

• Ruben Gallego (AZ)

• Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)

• Maggie Hassan (NH)

• John Hickenlooper (CO)

• Tim Kaine (VA)

• Mark Kelly (AZ)

• Jon Ossoff (GA)

• Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

• Elissa Slotkin (MI)

• Mark Warner (VA)

Democrats not voting on this included Dick Durbin (IL), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Jeff Merkley (OR), Alex Padilla (CA), Gary Peters (MI), Tina Smith (MN), Raphael Warnock (GA) and Ron Wyden (OR).