Rachel Maddow Unloads On GOP Senators For Inventing New Standards For Biden’s Cabinet Picks

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:33 pm

During her program on Tuesday night, Rachel Maddow ripped into the Republican double standard being used to evaluate Joe Biden‘s Cabinet picks.

Maddow blasted Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Richard Burr (R-NC), in particular, for inventing new requirements for Cabinet nominees, simply because it is now a Democratic president making the nominations.

“So Senator Cruz is against Xavier Becerra because Becerra is not a doctor,” the MSNBC host said. “Nevertheless, Senator Ted Cruz voted for the last health secretary under President Trump, who was a man named Alex Azar.”

“You will be shocked to learn, Alex Azar is also not a doctor,” Maddow said.

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Sen. Burr also opposes Biden’s pick for health secretary, saying Becerra’s time working on health-related committees in Congress does not make him qualified for the Cabinet post.

Maddow busted Burr for supporting a Trump nominee with similar qualifications.

“Being on committees that work on something, that’s not enough to make you qualified to serve in the Cabinet on that issue, unless you’re nominated by a Republican president, and then it’s okay,” the MSNBC host said.

Video:

Maddow said:

So Senator Cruz is against Xavier Becerra because Becerra is not a doctor. Nevertheless, Senator Ted Cruz voted for the last health secretary under President Trump, who was a man named Alex Azar. Senator Cruz voted for Alex Azar to be health secretary even though – you will be shocked to learn – Alex Azar is also not a doctor. See, it’s unacceptable to nominate a non-doctor to be health secretary unless that nominee is from a Republican president, in which case I have to go. Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina has also expressed objection to Xavier Becerra being nominated as health secretary. Senator Burr’s objection is that Xavier Becerra served in Congress for a long time on committees that had important oversight roles on health care issues, he was involved in a lot of health care policy that way. But Senator Burr says that is not appropriate experience for somebody joining the cabinet to work on health issues. … Despite that stance now, under President Trump, Senator Richard Burr expressed great enthusiasm for a Trump cabinet nominee named Dan Coats. Dan Coats was nominated to be director of national intelligence. Why did Senator Burr like Dan Coats for that job so much?  … Well, Senator Burr explained it at the time. He said Dan Coats would be an excellent choice for director of national intelligence. He said Dan’s experience as a valued member of Senate Intelligence Committee will help to guide him as the next director of national intelligence. He said I think his time on the committee has served him to understand what that role entails. So to be clear, just serving in Congress, being on committees that work on something, that’s not enough to make you qualified to serve in the cabinet on that issue, unless you’re nominated by a Republican president and then it’s okay. But if you’re nominated by a Democratic president on the same basis, then you are deeply unqualified.

Trump-supporting lawmakers suddenly care about qualifications

After four years of bowing down to a Republican president who hired family members and right-wing cable news pundits, GOP lawmakers are pretending to care about qualifications.

But these same Republican lawmakers who supported a game show host for president have lost their right to lecture the country about credentials.

President Biden has nominated a diverse group of competent, qualified individuals to serve in his Cabinet. The Senate should quickly confirm them so the new president and his team can do the job of cleaning up Donald Trump’s mess.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.