Merkley Statement on Presidential Inauguration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President of the United States:

“As President Trump is inaugurated, we must realize that millions of Americans across the country, including many in Oregon, are deeply anxious about this presidency–and they have every right to be. They are anxious because they see an incoming President who knocks Americans down instead of lifting them up. They are anxious because they fear they, or people they love, may be targeted simply for their faith, their gender, the color of their skin, or their ethnicity.

“I hope President Trump changes direction and recognizes his solemn responsibility to respect and celebrate all Americans.  But if, as I fear, he does not, I will keep standing with all the Americans he has attacked. To women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, Muslims, immigrants and everyone who is worried about their place in America today: I will never stop fighting for the rights and values we hold dear as Americans.

“As someone who has dedicated my life to fighting for working families, I will keep pushing to make America work for working Americans. I hope that the new President and new Administration will join this fight.

“But here is a message for President Trump: Fighting for working Americans is not compatible with a Treasury Secretary who made his fortune foreclosing on working families. It is not compatible with an Education Secretary who seeks to strip resources from the public schools that she clearly does not understand. It is not compatible with a Labor Secretary who has spent his career innovating new ways to grind workers into the ground. It is not compatible with a Secretary of State who as a Big Oil executive sided with Iran against the American people.

“A President committed to helping working families would not name a cabinet representing big banks, big oil and billionaires. And he certainly wouldn’t make the first order of business an effort to strip health care from our poor, our working families, and our seniors. 

“Inauguration day is supposed to be a time for hope.  So I hope that the weighty responsibilities of the office cause President Trump to be a president for all Americans.  I will fight every day for a vision of a diverse, tolerant America with economic opportunity for all.”

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