(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois is raising concerns over nominations President-elect Donald Trump is naming to fill his cabinet. Republicans say Democrats need to recognize the mandate from voters.
Since Trump swept the election with Republicans taking control of the U.S. House and Senate, the former president has been naming members of his cabinet.
At an unrelated event Friday, Durbin, D-Springfield, said he’s concerned about Robert Kennedy Jr. being nominated to lead Health and Human Services under a Trump administration.
“For 70 years we put fluoride in our drinking water believing that reducing cavities in our teeth was a good outcome and it was safe to do so,” Durbin said. “Now he’s raising questions that ‘maybe that’s dangerous.’ Well you start pedaling these theories around the United States and guess what’s going to happen in social media. It’s going to be picked up and be gospel truth to a lot of people.”
It’s unclear when the U.S. Senate will take up Trump’s nominations for confirmation votes. Durbin also questioned other appointments such as former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, to be the next attorney general. But, Durbin said U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State is a “worthy choice.”
“Sen. Marco Rubio is my friend,” Durbin said. “We disagree on a lot of political issues but he is a worthy choice for Secretary of State and there are others as well. I just want to say I don’t know how it will come out but if the hearings do their job, we’ll get to the bottom of these basic questions about each of these nominees.”
On Wednesday, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said Democrats need to stop with “petty politics.”
“Instead of focusing on commonsense solutions for Illinois, they’re more concerned with enacting policies to counter what they think Trump might do,” McCombie said.
State legislators return for the final three days of veto session Tuesday.
The public policy impact on Chicago from the incoming Trump administration is being laid out by residents and city leaders.
Mayor Brandon Johnson says Donald Trump has an opportunity to work with Chicago to unite the country, but demands the rich “pay their fair share.” He also raised concerns about Trump’s mass deportation plan.
“It looks like a really nasty form of government that would isolate people,” Johnson said Thursday. “It’s that type of mindset that not only enslaved people but it sent people to gas chambers.”
Standing with the Greater Chicagoland Black Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Josephine Wade, owner of Josephine’s Southern Cooking, said leaders need to put politics aside because something has to change in Illinois. People are leaving the state.
“Indiana has a terrible shortage of houses because people are trying to move there,” Wade said. “The rents are lower and the taxes are lower.”
Top Democrats such as Gov. J.B. Pritzker have denied Illinois’ population decline despite data from the U.S. Census, IRS and private moving companies showing continued loss of Illinoisans to other states.