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Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today in opposition to Eric Ueland's nomination to be Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget.

Congress charged the Deputy Director for Management with improving the performance, integrity, accountability, and transparency of the whole of government. This role is responsible for managing the personnel who work for the government, what the Federal Government purchases, and how the Federal Government manages its money.

Given his record and views, I have serious concerns about how Eric Ueland will carry out these responsibilities.

First, I am concerned by his willingness to break the law, especially when it comes to Congress's power of the purse. He supports the administration's efforts to illegally withhold funding that Congress has passed into law.

Mr. Ueland currently serves as the Acting Chief of Staff at the Office of Management and Budget, and he has helped freeze Federal funds and grants and loans across the government--illegal actions that shut off resources for police departments, hospitals, and workforce development agencies.

Like all of my colleagues in Congress, I swore an oath to uphold and follow the law set forth in our Constitution, which affirms that Congress--and Congress alone--is responsible for deciding how Federal funds are spent, not the President or members of his administration.

Eric Ueland has also been a staunch supporter of recklessly and indiscriminately shutting down Agencies and laying off employees, with no regard for how these actions might harm the government's ability to protect our national security or provide vital services to the American people. He refused to commit to even analyzing the impact that mass firings have had on the effectiveness of the Federal workforce, let alone acknowledging the harm government services will experience as a result of these actions.

Finally, Eric Ueland has made it clear that he will ignore conflicts of interest in the government's policy and contracting decisions, letting those in charge of government use it as a tool to enrich themselves.

As Elon Musk is pushing Agencies to purchase services that his own companies provide and shutting down Agencies that are investigating his companies, Eric Ueland told me that he was unable to see any conflicts of interest raised by Elon Musk's influence on government decisions.

Government should make decisions in the interests of the people and not in the interests of conflicted billionaire donors to the President like Elon Musk.

If Eric Ueland is confirmed, I am concerned that he will defy our duly passed laws and our Constitution to continue President Trump and Elon Musk's assault on the Federal Government. Because of this, I oppose Eric Ueland's nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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