Senator Hassan Votes Against Kirstjen Nielsen’s Nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security in HSGAC Committee

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement after voting in opposition to the nomination of President Trump’s nomine for the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“As we continue working to keep New Hampshire and the United States safe, secure, and free in the face of growing threats to the homeland, it is critical that the Department of Homeland Security has stable, steady, and apolitical leadership. With recent details of potential political interference from the White House into the decision making of the Department, it is not clear that the advancement of Ms. Nielsen’s nomination will do anything to reestablish the stable and steady leadership required at the Department. These reports raise important new questions not only about the political interference of the White House, but also the qualifications and appropriateness of Ms. Nielsen’s nomination, and until we get complete answers from Ms. Nielsen on these developments, I will oppose her nomination.”

Last week, following a Washington Post article reporting that the White House Chief of Staff John Kelly pressured acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Elaine Duke to expel thousands of Hondurans, Senator Hassan led a group of colleagues in calling on the leadership of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to hold an additional hearing on the nomination of White House Principal Deputy Chief of Staff Kirstjen Nielsen to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security. The Senators received no response to their request.

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