Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) plans to oppose Obama administration nominee for undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury Antonio Weiss, giving Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) some reinforcements in her push to kill the nomination.
That’s good news for Warren who has strongly opposed Weiss arguing that, as a banker for Lazard Ltd. who was involved in a corporate tax inversion deal, he’s especially unqualified to serve in the undersecretary role.
“I’m troubled by Mr. Weiss’s work on corporate inversions that place a tax burden on small businesses and middle class families and his lack of domestic regulatory experience and, as a result, I’m not convinced that he is the right person for the job,” Shaheen said in a statement.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has also said he opposes Weiss’s nomination.
Weiss has donated large sums to the Democratic Party and also expressed support for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
On Tuesday Warren tore into Weiss saying he does not meet the basic requirements to serve as undersecretary of the Treasury.
“Not everyone who swoops in through the revolving door should be offered a top job without some serious examinations,” Warren said. “Qualifications matter and Weiss doesn’t have them.”
This post has been updated.
So I guess we can officially say Obama is a lame duck now? When two of your own party’s Senators are shutting down your nomination, including one that is increasing having her name thrown out as a potential candidate for your office…it seems pretty clear he is being tossed to the curb.
Well, Democrats, it’s like this. You’re either for the people, or for the banksters. This will force you to self-identify. We are paying attention, trust me.
This is an interesting dispute. I’d like to hear some of Obama’s reasoning on this selection, since it certainly seems to have liberals’ teeth on edge.
I wonder if this might be more of the same thinking that led to the appointment of Tim Geithner – get someone from the belly of the beast who knows where the bodies are buried and still has the roadmap, keeping your enemies close – all of that.
And please don’t misconstrue this as an Obot’s apologist argument. I know nothing of Weiss, except for recent reporting that says he has engineered some mergers and tax inversion deals.