Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, expressed his opposition this week to confirming nominee Steven Mnuchin as Secretary of the Treasury.
“Based on Mr. Mnuchin’s record, my meeting with him, his answers during the Senate Finance hearing and follow-on questioning, I am unable to support his nomination to serve as Treasury Secretary,” Warner said.
He cited Mnuchin’s lack of understanding of the role the Treasury Department plays in crafting and implementing economic sanctions. He also voiced concern over Mnuchin’s focus on using what he called an unproven scoring method to pay for tax cuts.
“Throughout the confirmation process, Mr. Mnuchin has failed to adequately demonstrate that he will be a forceful advocate for innovative policies that will make the U.S. economy work better for the majority of Americans,” Warner said. “I also am not convinced that he is committed to robust enforcement of Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms, which are intended to protect taxpayers from the sort of irresponsible behavior that triggered the 2008 financial crisis.”
Warner is a member of the Senate Finance, Budget, and Banking Committees, and serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
“Given these concerns, I have determined that Mr. Mnuchin is not the right candidate to serve as Secretary of the Treasury, and I will vote against his nomination,” Warner said.