Warren Gives Trump Failing Grade in “Drain the Swamp” Report Card

Friday, July 21, 2017

GoLocalWorcester Political Team

Elizabeth Warren

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave President Donald Trump a failing grade in their six month review titled the “Drain the Swamp” report card.

Read the Report Card Here

"We all heard the ‘drain the swamp' chants at Trump rallies. Now the Trump administration is knee-deep in special interest lobbyists and industry insiders who spent their careers trying to bring special interest influence into the agencies they now lead - or simply tear the agencies down. We need an open and transparent government that fights for the health, safety, and wellbeing of the American people. Instead, we've got a government filling with swamp creatures out to rig the system for themselves and their patrons,” said Senator Whitehouse.

The Report Card

The report card states that “Trump has brought on an average of more than one swamp-creature for every day he has been in office." The report continues "over the course of his transition and during the first six months of his administration, President Trump has appointed or nominated at least 160 current and former lobbyists, including 81 individuals who were registered as lobbyists within the past two years.”

"President Trump reneged on his promise to ‘drain the swamp.' Instead of turning away lobbyists and Washington insiders, he has welcomed them into the White House with open arms. Personnel is policy, and President Trump's army of lobbyists are more interested in lining the pockets of their long-time employers and corporate buddies than in making life better for America's working families,” said Senator Warren.

The report includes detailed descriptions of White House policies made by Washington lobbyists and insiders that help pharmaceutical companies, for-profit colleges, big banks, and the oil and gas industry.

The report card comes after Warren sent a letter to Trump just after the election.

Read the Letter Below

The letter raises concerns about the special interest lobbyists and industry insiders staffing his transition team.

The report was put together in the following months, after extensive research of public financial and lobbying disclosures, White House press releases, and employment histories, and lists 192 current and former lobbyists and corporate insiders employed by the Trump Transition and Administration.

The list includes:

Geoffrey Burr, Chief of Staff at the Department of Transportation and "Confirmation Lead" for Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao during the Trump Transition.
Michael Catanzaro, Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Energy and Environmental Policy at the National Economic Council and advisor to the Trump Transition on Energy Policy.
Timothy Clark, White House Liaison at the Department of Health and Human Services, is the former President of the Clark Strategy Group, a lobbying firm that has represented the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Gary Cohn, the former President and Chief Operating Officer at Goldman Sachs, is the Chief Economic Advisor at the National Economic Council. Cohn received a $285 million payout after leaving Goldman Sachs to work for the Administration.
Taylor Hansen, a former for-profit college lobbyist at the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (currently known as the Career Education Colleges and Universities), worked as a Special Assistant to the Secretary at the Department of Education before resigning in March 2017.
David Malpass, the President's nominee to serve as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, is currently the President of Encima Global, a consulting firm for Wall Street clients.