Blumenthal Statement on the Confirmation of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted against the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State. The nomination was confirmed 57-42.

“Our nation needs a top diplomat who values diplomacy and knows how it’s done. Mike Pompeo has no experience in diplomacy – instead, his experience is in intelligence and as a Member of Congress, where he took $400,000 from the Koch brothers,” Blumenthal said. “He has a record of standing against reproductive rights both here and abroad. He’s made statements about the LGBTQ community that are antithetical to American values. I opposed his nomination because I believe he will only reinforce President Trump’s worst instincts, but now that he has been confirmed, I certainly hope to be proven wrong.”