On the recordSeptember 11, 2019
just a little bit earlier today, the Senate voted to confirm President Trump's nomination of Dale Cabaniss to lead the Office of Personnel Management. I voted against this nominee, but now that she is confirmed, it is more important than ever for the Senate and the House to fulfill our oversight duties to protect our civil servants from political interference. I know the Presiding Officer has a keen interest in this subject as well, in his capacity as chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, overseeing Federal civil service, and I appreciate his work on that front. In order to do their jobs for the American people, our Federal employees must be able to perform their duties free of politics. They must be judged on the merits of their work, not political favoritism or cronyism. They must be able to present factual information and analysis without fear of retribution. Yet time and again, we have seen that this President, President Trump, views civil servants as his adversaries. The President has sought to silence those whose work or words contradict him, even when the facts are clear. We saw that most recently when the National Weather Service tried to calm residents in the State of Alabama after President Trump falsely stated that Hurricane Dorian would put them at severe risk.…
