Washington (April 17, 2018) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today that he will vote against the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State. During the confirmation hearing, Mr. Pompeo refused to apologize under questioning from Senator Markey for his false assertion that American Muslim leaders were ‘potentially complicit’ in violent acts even though the American Muslim community and its leaders already had condemned that attack. Director Pompeo has defended the Central Intelligence Agency’s past use of torture, voted against the Violence Against Women Act, and proposed legislation that would set back the rights of LGBTQ individuals. 

“We need a Secretary of State that upholds the values we seek to foster around the globe, but Mike Pompeo’s career is a laundry list of extremism and denial. America’s top diplomat should embody the best of America’s values, not defend torture, promote division, ignore human rights, or rubberstamp all Presidential positions.

“With the nomination of Mr. Pompeo as Secretary of State and the appointment of John Bolton as National Security Advisor, President Trump is assembling a war cabinet full of ‘yes men’ who will fan his worst impulses. It is vitally important that there continue to be checks on the system so the United States does not make unforced strategic errors not in the economic or national security interests of the country.

“While I respect Mr. Pompeo’s service to our nation as a solider and member of Congress, I also cannot ignore his record of discriminatory, demeaning remarks and hawkish advocacy for confrontation and even regime change,” concluded Senator Markey. “I am opposed to Mr. Pompeo’s nomination.”

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