Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-North Carolina) is deeply saddened by Vice President Kamala Harris' loss and President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet reshuffle, and said he believes Democrats should take action and change President Trump's policies. It proposes to establish a “shadow government” to oppose it. A majority if the country votes.
nickel put express his thoughts in an editorial of washington postclaimed it was time for the US to “appoint a shadow cabinet to fight back against the worst excesses of the second Trump administration, with the help of our friends in the UK”.
He laid out his vision on the House floor, arguing that “a new era demands new solutions.”
“Last week was terrible. As Democrats, we simply failed to convince the American people that we had better ideas to solve problems, but we do. Now we're in the dust. We have to pay off and get ready to fight,” he said. “We cannot leave Donald Trump's extreme MAGA policies unanswered or opposed,” he continued, adding, “I am drawing on my friends in the UK to address the worst abuses of the second Trump administration. We will appoint a shadow cabinet to fight back.''
Schumer said:
The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom extends not only to our countries' strength on the world stage, but also to our shared commitment to democracy. Across the Atlantic, Britain has something we don't. It is an opposition team that mirrors the government's own ministers. They closely monitor the cabinet as it challenges, scrutinizes and proposes new ideas in public.
He described it as “another form of checks and balances.”
“This is the insurance of democracy and also strengthens the government. There is no room for idle ideas when rivals are ready to intervene,” he argued.
Nickel offered specific examples of who he thinks should fill these shadow cabinet positions, starting with Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a notorious Russian collusion hoax spreader.
“If Trump seeks to weaponize the justice system against his political opponents with Matt Gaetz at the helm, then Senator-elect Adam Schiff will become our shadow attorney general and replace our independent prosecutor with a Trump supporter. ,” he said, ignoring the bigwigs. It is ironic that throughout the Biden-Harris administration, Democrats have used the judicial system to target their political opponents, namely Trump and his supporters.
“If President Trump seeks to abolish the Department of Education, former Teacher of the Year Representative Jahana Hayes could step forward as Shadow Secretary of Education and become a vocal advocate for public education in the United States,” he said. .
“If President Trump orders Marco Rubio to hand over Ukraine and much of Eastern Europe to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Congressman Greg Meeks will become shadow secretary of state.” [could] Please be a strong voice in support of maintaining international relations and protecting democracy at home and abroad,” he continued, calling for Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) to be Shadow Treasury Secretary and House of Representatives Susan DelBene. (D-Wis.) to be Shadow Secretary of Commerce. Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) becomes Shadow Secretary of Defense. He believes Smith “can counter President Trump's threats to use military force against his political opponents and ensure that the Pentagon remains true to the Constitution and not a wannabe dictator.”
Nickel also warned former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who heads the Environmental Protection Agency, and urged Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) to “take care of the air we breathe and the water we drink.” He urged them to protect it.
“And if President Trump pushes for a nationwide ban on abortion, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro could step in as shadow Secretary of Health and Human Services to protect a woman's right to choose.” Despite making it clear that he was agreeing to the admission, Mr. Nickel continued. Thanks to a Supreme Court reversal, states can now decide. Roe vs. Wade.
The Democratic lawmaker said the shadow cabinet was to “oppose extreme MAGA attacks on the government” and “make clear not just what we're against, but what we support.” I made that abundantly clear.
