Schumer: Democrats will seek to delay votes on Trump cabinet nominees in response to executive order
The New York Democrat said on the "Today" show that Trump's "appalling" order will encourage lone-wolf style attacks in America, and pledged that Democrats will introduce legislation later Monday evening to repeal the ban.
"This evening I will ask for a vote on the floor of the Senate to repeal this," Schumer said, saying that California Sen. Dianne Feinstein drafted a bill to repeal the ban.
He continued: "I hope that Mitch McConnell allows that vote. Already, eleven Republicans, not just the ones you've shown, have already spoken out against it. We should repeal this, and then we should sit down, and in a careful, thoughtful way we need to tighten up things against terrorism."
Schumer also said Democrats will seek to delay the vote on on Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, as well as other cabinet nominees.
"I'm going to ask for a delay, whether McConnell grants it, you know, they run the senate," Schumer said, adding that. "I think we're going to ask about it for just about every one."
When "Today" host Matt Lauer said that senate Republicans would push back, Schumer interjected.
"Oh, please," he replied. "This is so important to America. Aren't the American people entitled to know the positions of these cabinet people before they come in?"
For his part, Trump lashed out at Schumer for seeking to delay cabinet votes.
During a business roundtable on Monday, the president said Democrats are "not behaving well at all," and mocked Schumer for crying while decrying Trump's immigration order onstage with refugees from Iraq and Syria on Sunday.
"I'm going to ask him who is his acting coach," Trump said. "I know him very well - I don't see him as a crier."