John,

With the presidential transition fully underway, President-elect Donald Trump has been announcing his nominees for Cabinet positions subject to the Senate’s review and confirmation by vote.

I take my responsibility seriously and intend to conduct thorough lines of questioning for each nominee brought before our committees, but there are already serious concerns about several of his nominees. So my team and I are closely following Trump’s appointments and preparing for hearings.

The president-elect has a dubious track record of selecting yes-men to work alongside him, and we know he is willing to fight and play tricks to get nominees confirmed.

John, it is still early. More information about each nominee will be brought before the Senate in the coming weeks and months.

Throughout this process, I will uphold our values, even in the instances where Senate Democrats may not have the majority of votes.

We will seek to inform the American people and seek accountability for the officials in the incoming administration.

Make no mistake, there are some tough fights ahead. We may not be able to win all of them. But we can win some, and that is worth fighting for to build the more just, loving nation I know we can still be.

With love and gratitude,

Cory