Washington, DC -- U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after voting against the confirmation of Steve Mnuchin for Secretary of the Treasury:
"The Treasury Department exists to safeguard the integrity of our country's financial system, and should work to empower every American to succeed and help the American economy to prosper and grow. The person who leads this vital department must be deeply committed to these core priorities and to protecting American consumers and growing the middle class.
"Steve Mnuchin made billions of dollars from the financial crisis by exploiting hardworking families and shortchanging homeowners in New Jersey and across the country for the benefit of himself and his investors. During his nomination process, he provided no evidence to suggest that as Treasury Secretary he would behave any differently. His vision for the Treasury Department is of an agency that lets big banks and Wall Street run wild regardless of the consequences for everyday Americans. That's exactly the opposite of what our next Treasury Secretary should be doing, and why I opposed his confirmation today."