No one under consideration for a cabinet position or presidential appointment should get a free pass. FCNL has concerns about many of the nominees put forward. We encourage senators to ask hard questions that highlight nominees’ positions on critical issues.

Senators, FCNL, and constituents around the country should hold nominees accountable for the statements they make.

No one being considered for such a powerful position should get a free pass.

We are not naive about the difference we can make in these confirmation hearings. We are unlikely to see many no votes from either party, let alone enough to block an appointment. But we will still use this opportunity to push hard questions during the confirmation hearings and push for statements on the record. In instances where a nominee’s record is so unconscionable, we will oppose. But in areas where there may potentially be future alignment and common ground, we want to leave an open door to work with the administration and promote these areas of agreement and advance the world we seek.

Statements on Nominees

Check back for additional statements.

What does the nomination process really look like?

The start of a new presidency is always filled with anticipation and news of presidential nominations. Some positions, such as cabinet secretaries, require a majority of the Senate to vote for confirmation.

The Senate has a tradition of allowing the president to select his cabinet picks. Senators often use the confirmation hearing process to elicit information, emphasize concerns, and get commitments from the nominees. However, especially when confirming other members of Congress, senators are often very reluctant to oppose a presidential nominee.

Where can your voice make the most difference?

And there will be a lot coming at us in the immediate days following the inauguration. Congress will be voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, putting the health care of millions of Americans in jeopardy. We can affect this outcome with enough grassroots and faithful advocacy. A bipartisan group of senators and representatives are working to protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrant children, previously protected under President Obama’s executive orders, but who now may be in jeopardy of deportation. We can support them and help protect these kids.

The coming weeks, months, and years will require enormous work on the part of FCNL and every one of you around the country who believe in the values we profess and the world we seek. We will be calling on you often with a heightened urgency. Given what’s at stake and the threats that lie before us, we will use the FCNL network in ways and times that will be most effective. We will prioritize. We will focus on those actions and efforts where we believe your voice will make a real impact, could be the difference between legislation passing or failing.

What is FCNL’s unique role in this new political environment?

Some have decided that their role is to oppose everything and anything this administration and Congress are doing. We have made a different decision. We are grounded in a faith perspective that knows no party. We are guided by a vision of the world as we know it can be. That is our compass. That is our role. Of all the issues and challenges we face in the coming days and years, we will take action—fierce action—on those where we know we can make a real difference. We will speak prophetically when such words need speaking. And we will collaborate and find common ground on those points and policies where we know we can push forward and benefit lives, living out our call to love our neighbor without exception.