Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) released the following statement after President Donald Trump abruptly fired Dr. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress:
“I am deeply troubled by the apparent firing of Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress. It’s reported that she was notified through an after-hours email. Nominated by President Barack Obama for this position, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a term of ten years in 2016 and has served honorably — through both Democratic and Republican presidencies. In addition to being the first professional librarian confirmed for the role in more than 60 years, she made history as our nation’s first woman and first Black Librarian of Congress.
“During her tenure as our nation’s librarian, Dr. Hayden has upheld the high standards of preserving history, spreading knowledge, and creating innovative programming to inform the millions of visitors the library receives annually. She has been dedicated to ensuring that the Library of Congress and its collections are meticulously maintained and accessible to the public. In this moment, when this administration and others are working to erase and scrub American history and ban books, we need Dr. Hayden’s leadership now more than ever. While I am saddened by this news and call on the Trump administration to reverse this decision, I am confident that Dr. Hayden’s legacy as our Librarian of Congress will endure for generations to come.”
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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.