Two former Democratic presidential candidates have been confirmed to President Donald Trump’s cupboard regardless of issues from Christians and pro-life advocates.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as director of Nationwide Intelligence in a 52-48 vote Wednesday. On Thursday, the higher chamber confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers in a 52-48 vote.
Each votes got here down largely alongside celebration strains, with all however one Senate Republican supporting the nominees and all Democrats opposing them. In each circumstances, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., sided with Democrats to oppose the nominees.
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Gabbard, who previously represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District within the U.S. Home of Representatives, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Celebration’s presidential nomination in 2020. She later left the Democratic Celebration and have become an unbiased, citing what she described as its embrace of “cowardly wokeness” and hostility towards individuals of religion as the explanations for her determination.
Kennedy ran within the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries towards incumbent President Joe Biden. He later switched to an unbiased bid earlier than dropping out and endorsing Trump lower than three months earlier than the election.
Whereas near-unanimous help from Republicans secured their confirmations, each Gabbard and Kennedy confronted criticism from influential voices inside the conservative motion.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served alongside Trump throughout his first time period, urged Senate Republicans to reject his nomination resulting from his previous help for abortion.
In an announcement printed shortly after Trump chosen Kennedy as his choose to guide HHS, Pence expressed concern that as a result of Kennedy “has defended abortion on demand throughout all 9 months of being pregnant, helps overturning the Dobbs determination and has referred to as for laws to codify Roe v. Wade,” he would turn into “essentially the most pro-abortion Republican appointed secretary of HHS in fashionable historical past.”
Throughout his affirmation hearings, Kennedy labored to guarantee Republican members of the U.S. Senate that he would implement the pro-life insurance policies of the Trump administration. He vowed to oppose late-term abortions, guarantee conscience protections for these against abortion and halt federal funding of abortions.
Gabbard, a 43-year-old Hindu, has confronted criticism from spiritual freedom advocacy teams, together with the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations, over her reported ties to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hindu nationalists in India who interact in persecution of Christians and different spiritual minorities.
FIACONA described Gabbard as “a direct risk to our nation’s nationwide safety.”
“Because the starting of her political profession in US Congress in [2013], Gabbard was depending on help from affiliation with American associates of the Rashtryia Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” the group harassed in an announcement printed shortly after her nomination the group.
RSS is a Hindu nationalist paramilitary in India that “seeks the extermination of Indian Christians and Muslims as a way to set up a Hindu nation,” FIACONA warned.
FIACONA criticized Gabbard’s “coverage actions in U.S. Congress to torpedo makes an attempt, early earlier than and after Modi’s election, to criticize the Hindu nationalist motion for its pogroms of non secular minorities.”
Whereas Gabbard’s nomination was met with skepticism by some within the Christian neighborhood, others have embraced her.
The Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse in addition to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Affiliation, spoke positively about Gabbard in a social media put up printed final week. He praised Gabbard as “sincere, extremely sensible, and a troublesome soldier” and described her as “a fantastic American who loves this nation and can put America first.”
Kennedy and Gabbard are two of the three Trump cupboard nominees confirmed up to now who haven’t obtained unanimous help from Republican senators.
The third, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, had three Republicans oppose him: Sens. McConnell, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Due to the three Republican defections, Vice President J.D. Vance needed to forged the tie-breaking vote.
As of Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 16 of Trump’s cupboard nominees, together with Gabbard, Kennedy and Hegseth. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the one cupboard choose to obtain unanimous affirmation from the U.S. Senate.
Different confirmed cupboard officers are Central Intelligence Company Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Homeland Safety Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Environmental Safety Company Administrator Lee Zeldin, Secretary of the Inside Doug Burgum, Secretary of Vitality Christopher Wright, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi and Secretary of Housing and City Improvement Eric Turner.
In addition to Kennedy and Gabbard, Director of the Workplace of Administration and Price range Russell Vought and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins are the latest additions to the Trump cupboard. In the meantime, a number of Trump cupboard picks are nonetheless awaiting affirmation.
Elise Stefanik, Trump’s nominee to function U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Mike Huckabee, the nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel; and Mark Burnett, whom Trump nominated to function particular envoy to the UK; are amongst these but to be confirmed. Additionally awaiting affirmation are Dave Weldon, whom Trump tapped to guide the Middle for Illness Management and Prevention; U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See nominee Brian Burch and Nationwide Institutes of Well being Director nominee Jay Bhattacharya.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Put up. He will be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
