Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance suspended its own rules in order to approve the nomination—without input from committee Democrats—of Steven Mnuchin to serve as secretary of the treasury. Marc Jarsulic, Vice President for Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
During the Great Recession, Steve Mnuchin’s bank OneWest foreclosed on tens of thousands of homeowners, including seniors and service members. Government records and homeowner testimonies show that his bank engaged in practices that harmed homeowners and communities. In light of these facts and numerous public testimonials from victims of Mnuchin’s foreclosure machine, as well as news reports that he allegedly misled the Senate Finance Committee on OneWest’s actions, it is even more shameful that Senate Finance Committee Republicans suspended the committee’s rules in order to jam through Mnuchin’s nomination.
The secretary of the treasury is one of the most important leadership posts in the U.S. government. The secretary makes decisions on consumer protection issues, taxes, and bank oversight that affect all Americans and the economy. The nation deserves a leader in this position with a stronger commitment to serve and protect the interests of all Americans.
Related resource: Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin’s Bet Against Seniors by Colin McArthur and Sarah Edelman
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected] or 202.478.6331.