From [HERE] Congresswoman Barbara Lee and leadership of the Congressional Quad-Caucus – which is composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) – sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling for the immediate removal of Steve Bannon, a white nationalist, from his permanent position on the National Security Council (NSC).
Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressional Quad-Caucus leadership released the following statements upon release of the letter.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13):
“By placing Steve Bannon – a man who has promoted the alt-right and white nationalism – at the center of our nation’s most senior diplomatic and intelligence council, President Trump has placed our national security in grave danger. Steve Bannon should be removed from his permanent position on the National Security Council immediately. There is no place for such inexperience and bigotry at the center of America’s national security apparatus.”
CAPAC Chairwoman Judy Chu (CA-27):
“In the first days of Trump’s presidency, all of our worst fears about Steve Bannon as a supporter of white nationalism have been confirmed. Under his influence, Donald Trump has said he would prioritize Christians over Muslims in his travel ban while flirting with – then doubling down on – Holocaust denial. Now, the elevation of the man who proudly gave a platform to the alt-right to the National Security Council risks politicizing this critical institution. The safety and security of the United States must be paramount to partisan politics. Steve Bannon lacks relevant experience and instead brings a divisive political agenda that is not fit at the core of our national security apparatus. I join my colleagues in calling on President Trump to remove Steve Bannon from a permanent position on the National Security Council and to prioritize expertise and experience in our national security.”
CHC Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01):
“President Trump’s decision to demote the roles of the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the National Security Council and instead place Stephen Bannon on the Council is unacceptable and calls into question the judgment and motives of the Trump administration. Mr. Bannon is a political operative complicit in peddling white supremacist, anti-Semitic, xenophobic and misogynistic narratives. Mr. Bannon completely lacks the experience necessary to give an objective and informed opinion on global threats and his position on the NSC is a risk to our national security.”