Sen. Cramer on What’s On Your Mind discussing Gaetz’s nomination
WASHINGTON – North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer calls former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s journey to be confirmed by the Senate as Attorney General as “an uphill climb.”
“It’s not every day that you pick somebody to be the top cop who’s under investigation by the [House] Ethics Committee and resigns just before the report is going to come out. This is a significant issue,” Cramer said.
The investigation surrounds allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Cramer believes it’s difficult to see how Gaetz’s nomination gets approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In September 2023, then Speaker of the House Rep. Kevin McCarthy needed Democrats’ help to pass a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown. Gaetz then filed a motion to vacate against McCarthy to strip him of his speakership. In order to get enough votes to become speaker, McCarthy agreed to allowing one member of the House to issue a motion to vacate to remove him as speaker.
Cramer believes Gaetz singlehandedly “sunk” the House when Republicans were in the majority and “did it for no good reason.”
“If he’s prepared to move forward with greater integrity than he’s shown in the House, he maybe has a chance. I’m open to voting for him should he get through the Judiciary Committee, I’ll be able to be persuaded, but I’m not persuaded right now. It was more than a disruptive pick, but it’s a dangerous pick,” Cramer said.
Cramer says the FBI background check before Senate confirmation hearings will show the findings of the House Ethics Committee’s report.
Cramer adds if Gaetz isn’t confirmed by the Senate, it could be months before we have an Attorney General.
He has no issues with Trump’s picks for his cabinet including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Secretary, Veteran and Forest Lake, Minnesota native Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
