In 2017, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led Congressional Democrats by having the highest rate of opposing votes to Donald Trump’s cabinet picks. Eight years later, however, the New York senator seems to have lost any interest in reprising that role.
Gillibrand has already voted to confirm six of Trump’s nineteen cabinet picks, compared to five total yes votes for 53 nominees during Trump’s first term. Perhaps she believes that the DOGE infested Trump 2.0 Administration is better run than the first term?
Beyond cabinet appointments, Gillibrand also co-sponsored Senator Bill Hagerty’s (R-TN) “GENIUS” Act, a stablecoin bill chock-full of giveaways to the crypto industry. Passage of this bill would cement the industry’s primacy in Washington and add to its wins under the Trump administration, which include plans for a crypto strategic reserve and the SEC’s abdication of crypto enforcement oversight.
Gillibrand’s disinterest in drawing clear distinctions between herself and Trump is especially concerning given her influence within the Democratic Party. As Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Gillibrand sets the tone for what is considered acceptable (read: electable) behavior for Senate Democrats.
If Democratic leaders set a precedent of capitulation to Trump and/or Trump-aligned business interests, less senior members of the party are sure to follow. Like Gillibrand, Maryland’s newly elected senator Angela Alsobrooks represents a very blue state. And yet she too has co-sponsored Hagerty’s bill.
As the Trump administration continues to define itself through lawlessness and corruption, Democrats, like Gillibrand ought to be creating more separation, not less.
PHOTO CREDIT: “Kirsten Gillibrand” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
