Murray Opposes President Trump’s Pick to Head Agency Protecting Retirement Security of Millions, Hammers Republicans for Unprecedented Obstruction of Democratic Nominees

Senator Murray spoke out against President Trump’s nominee to direct agency protecting the retirement security of almost 40 million people

Murray expressed concern with the nominee’s credentials, and the lack of a thorough vetting process including a HELP Committee hearing

Murray has received no response from the Trump Administration to her inquiry about why the current Director is being replaced well before his term expires

Murray: “Given my doubts about Mr. Hartogensis’s credentials for this position, and my frustration with this nomination’s process, I will be voting against his nomination, and I encourage my colleagues to join me.”

Murray also expressed her frustration at Republicans’ unprecedented refusal to move Democratic nominees at agencies  protecting workers’ rights

Washington, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, spoke on the Senate floor about her opposition to the nomination of Gordon Hartogensis to lead the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) ahead of the Senate vote on his confirmation. Senator Murray brought up unanswered questions about Mr. Hartogensis’s nomination, including why he was nominated to replace the current director Tom Reeder well before his term ends, and whether Mr. Hartogensis has any relevant experience for the position. Senator Murray made clear she was disappointed the HELP Committee did not have a hearing with Mr. Hartogensis where members could ask him about important issues facing the PBGC like the multiemployer pension crisis.

Senator Murray also expressed her frustration with Republicans’ efforts to block highly qualified Democratic nominees for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and she voiced her opposition to President Trump’s latest far-right judicial nominee, John Campbell Barker.

Read Senator Murray’s full remarks below.

“Thank you, M. President.”

“I come to the floor today to oppose the nomination of Mr. Gordon Hartogensis to serve as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and to express my continued frustration with Republicans’ efforts to weaponize the nomination process for partisan gain—including their unprecedented refusal to move Democratic nominees for important agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, in order to tilt them in favor of corporations, and their continued attacks on women’s health care and reproductive rights by stacking our courts with far-right judges.

“The Director of the PBGC is responsible for protecting the retirement security of almost 40 million people. We owe it to those workers and retirees to make absolutely sure that any nominee for the position has the relevant pension-related experience and knowledge to handle that challenge, the determination to fight for workers and retirees, and the willingness to work with members on both sides of the aisle. When it comes to Mr. Hartogensis, I am simply not convinced that’s the case.  

“It is unclear why he was nominated to replace Director Reeder—who is doing a commendable job—well before Director Reeder’s term is complete. And what makes this even worse is that the Senate HELP Committee didn’t have a hearing where Members could question Mr. Hartogensis. I’ve asked the Trump Administration why they decided to replace Mr. Reeder—no response. My Democratic colleagues on the Committee asked the Chairman for a hearing with Mr. Hartogensis—no hearing.

“We should be giving Mr. Hartogensis’s nomination serious scrutiny, including a hearing with the Senate HELP Committee. Especially considering the complex challenges the PBGC Director must help the agency navigate amid our country’s multiemployer pension crisis.

“Millions of workers and retirees across the country are at risk of seeing the pensions they were promised—that they earned and planned their financial futures around—thrown into jeopardy through absolutely no fault of their own.

“I’m hopeful we can focus on this issue more going forward and look for bipartisan steps to address this crisis but, I’m disappointed the committee that should be most focused on this critical issue wasn’t able to have a hearing with Mr. Hartogensis to dive into the crisis more deeply.”

“Given my doubts about Mr. Hartogensis’s credentials for this position, and my frustration with this nomination’s process, I will be voting against his nomination, and I encourage my colleagues to join me.

“And unfortunately, Mr. Hartogensis is just one example of a broader effort by Republicans to play political games with the nomination process in ways that ultimately harm workers, women, and families nationwide.  

“I remain deeply disturbed by Republicans’ continued partisanship—particularly their obstruction of highly qualified Democratic nominees for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board.

“It has been longstanding practice to respect the minority party’s selection of nominees and to move majority and minority nominees together to independent agencies.

“And yet my colleagues across the aisle have jammed through Republicans nominees to the NLRB, and hampered the work of the EEOC by allowing one Republican Senator to essentially veto the Democratic nominee to the agency—effectively tilting the playing field even more in favor of corporations and against workers’ rights.

“In this moment—as so many brave women and men have come forward to share their stories of workplace harassment and brought this issue to the forefront, and, as the Trump Administration continues to undermine workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain for higher wages and better working conditions—the EEOC and the NLRB have a critical role to play in protecting workers’ rights—and they must be able to function fully and with balanced voices. And I’m going to keep fighting for workers across the country and pushing to get Democratic nominees confirmed to the Commission and the Board.

“Of course, Republicans’ nomination antics go far beyond these important agencies.

“They are also continuing to work with President Trump to veer our courts far-right by stacking them with ideological judges—especially when it comes to women’s health and reproductive rights.

“Which brings me to another nominee before us whom I strongly oppose—Mr. John Campbell Barker.

“As we’ve seen with Justice Kavanaugh, and with so many other nominees, President Trump is seizing every opportunity he gets to appoint judges who will be willing to chip away at the right to safe, legal abortion.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Barker fits that pattern to a tee.

“As Deputy Solicitor of Texas, in the Whole Woman’s Health case, he defended a law that imposed medically unnecessary requirements on physicians and clinics, which were meant to make it harder for women to access safe, legal abortion.

“He’s also made clear that he believes employers should be able to decide whether the women who work for them can get birth control through their insurance coverage.

“These alarming positions are just a few of the reasons I oppose Mr. Barker’s nomination—and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

“Republicans may be determined to continue their crusade to tip the judiciary against women’s health and reproductive rights. But they should know that Democrats, and women and men across the country, are just as determined to stand up, call them out, and fight back.

“Thank you.”

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