Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Ahead Of Senate Vote To Confirm Rodney Scott As Commissioner Of Customs and Border Protection

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the Senate’s vote to confirm Rodney Scott as Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, urging Senate Republicans to reject this dangerous nominee. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today, Senate Republicans will confirm Rodney Scott as Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP.

It’s hard to imagine a worse, more unqualified, more dangerous choice to lead the CBP in this moment than Mr. Scott.

His lack of experience alone is enough to disqualify him from the position, but there’s even more.

During his time at the Border Patrol, Mr. Scott was directly implicated in the alleged cover-up of the death of someone in Border Patrol custody. These are the people Donald Trump seems to like – people who break the law. Somehow, he likes that.

And there’s another one.

When pressed by the committee about these allegations, Mr. Scott described his actions as “routine.”

Covering up the death of someone who was in custody? That was routine?

This is sick.

This is a person who may have covered up the death of someone in border patrol custody. And now Republicans want to put him in charge of border security?

No one who allegedly covered up wrongful death at the hands of law enforcement should ever be named to a position of leadership.

The Senate should reject his nomination.

And at a time when the Trump administration is snatching people off the streets, conducting military-style raids across America, and demonizing immigrants, Mr. Scott would be nothing more than a rubber stamp for some of Donald Trump’s nastiest, cruelest immigration policies.

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