Five Democratic lawmakers have bucked party lines and come out in opposition to President Joe Biden‘s nominee for the top banking official.
Arizona Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, Montana Sen. Jon Tester, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, and Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper have come out against Saule Omarova, according to Axios. Omarova, a Cornell Law School professor, drew attention after a clip surfaced of her saying oil, coal, and gas companies need to “go bankrupt if we want to tackle climate change.”
Tester has said he has “some significant concerns about positions” Omarova has taken regarding the financial system banking regulations, as well as on positions about legislation related to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
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The Montana Democrat has explained that his concerns about Omarova stem from her opposition to the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, legislation passed in 2018 that he helped navigate through Congress.
Warner, who supported the legislation, informed Omarova during her confirmation hearing on Thursday that he was “pretty disappointed” in her views.
“Saule Omarova is eminently qualified for this position,” a White House spokesperson said. “She has been treated unfairly since her nomination with unacceptable red-baiting from Republicans like it’s the McCarthy era.”
Republicans have strongly opposed Omarova for her positions, accusing her of wanting to tear apart the banking industry.
“The White House continues to strongly support her historic nomination,” the spokesperson said.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has supported Omarova as Biden’s pick, saying she is an “excellent choice” who will “oversee and regulate the activities of our nation’s largest banks.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Sinema, Warner, Tester, Hickenlooper, and Kelly for a statement but did not receive responses.
