WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after the Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominations of retired Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary and retired Gen. John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security and set up a debate Monday on the nomination of Rep. Mike Pompeo to lead the Central Intelligence Agency:

“We must vigorously defend DACA and the young people in that program. We must continue the fight for comprehensive immigration reform and a path toward citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. General Mattis and General Kelly may not be the nominees I would have preferred for the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, but in a Trump cabinet likely to be loaded up with right-wing extremists, all of whom I will oppose, I hope General Mattis and General Kelly will have a moderating influence on some of the racist and xenophobic views that President Trump advocated throughout the campaign. At a time of massive attacks on privacy, I will strongly oppose Congressman Pompeo as CIA director.”