An executive resolution authorizing the en bloc consideration in Executive Session of certain nominations on the Executive Calendar.

Madam President, while I voted No on S. Res. 817, which calls for an up or down vote on 74 nominations, en bloc, I would have voted yes on the following nominations if I had the opportunity to vote on each nomination separately:

1. Calendar No. 729: John Breslow, of Arizona, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Republic of Cyprus.

2. Calendar No. 730: Todd Steggerda, of Virginia, to be

Representative of the United States of America to the Office

of the United Nations and Other International Organizations

in Geneva.

3. Calendar No. 731: Adam Cassady, of Virginia, to be

Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

4. Calendar No. 732: Preston Wells Griffith III, of

Virginia, to be Representative of the United States of

America to the Vienna Office of the United Nations.

5. Calendar No. 733: Preston Wells Griffith III, of

Virginia, to be Representative of the United States of

America to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

6. Calendar No. 734: Fleet White, of Virginia, to be an

Assistant Secretary of State (Political-Military Affairs).

7. Calendar No. 739: Kenneth Sorenson, of Hawaii, to be

United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii for the

term of four years.

8. Calendar No. 740: Johnson TeeHee II, of Oklahoma, to be

United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Oklahoma

for the term of four years.

9. Calendar No. 746: Timothy VerHey, of Michigan, to be

United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan

for the term of four years.

10. Calendar No. 748: Jack Chambers, of West Virginia, to

be United States Marshal for the Southern District of West

Virginia for the term of four years.

11. Calendar No. 749: Jason Holt, of Oklahoma, to be United

States Marshal for the

Northern District of Oklahoma for the term of four years.

12. Calendar No. 757: Michael Kavoukjian, of Florida, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Kingdom of Norway.

13. Calendar No. 761: Eric Wendt, of California, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Republic of Albania.

14. Calendar No. 762: David Brat, of Virginia, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Commonwealth of Australia.

15. Calendar No. 781: Sean Costello, of Alabama, to be

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama

for the term of four years.

16. Calendar No. 822: David M. Prouty, of Maryland, to be a

Member of the National Labor Relations Board for the term of

five years expiring August 27, 2031. (Reappointment).

17. Calendar No. 823: Brett Matsumoto, of Maryland, to be

Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, for a

term of four years.

18. Calendar No. 826: Kaveh Farzad, of Maryland, to be an

Assistant Secretary of Energy (International Affairs).

19. Calendar No. 835: Christopher Michael De Bono, of the

District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of

fifteen years.

20. Calendar No. 836: Sharon E. Goodie, of the District of

Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of

the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.

21. Calendar No. 837: Bradford Pentony Wilson, of New

Jersey, to be Archivist of the United States.

22. Calendar No. 842: Michael Christopher DiLorenzo, of the

District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of

fifteen years.

23. Calendar No. 843: Craig Edward Leen, of the District of

Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of

the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.

24. Calendar No. 844: Christine Michelle Macey, of the

District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of

fifteen years.

25. Calendar No. 845: John Barlow Timmer, of the District

of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court

of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.

26. Calendar No. 848: James Andrew Crowell IV, of the

District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the

District of Columbia Court of Appeals for the term of fifteen

years.

27. Calendar No. 849: Stuart Gordon Nash, of the District

of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the District of

Columbia Court of Appeals for the term of fifteen years.

28. Calendar No. 850: Rudolph Bauer, of South Carolina, to

be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to Belize.

29. Calendar No. 853: Barbera Thornhill, of North Carolina,

to be Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat

Trafficking, with the rank of Ambassador at Large.

30. Calendar No. 854: Christopher Anderson, of Wisconsin,

to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the

United States of America to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

31. Calendar No. 855: Stanley Brown, of Virginia, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

32. Calendar No. 856: Joseph Burkhalter, of Georgia, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Republic of Moldova.

33. Calendar No. 857: John Hurley, of California, to be

Representative of the United States of America to the

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with

the rank of Ambassador.

34. Calendar No. 858: Daniel Perez, of Florida, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to Brazil.

35. Calendar No. 859: Laurence Socha, of Illinois, to be

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United

States of America to the Republic of The Gambia.

36. Calendar No. 860: Juan Segura, of Virginia, to be an

Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs).

37. Calendar No. 863: Brendan Hanrahan, of New York, to be

an Assistant Secretary of State (European and Eurasian

Affairs).

38. Calendar No. 864: Donald Blome, of Illinois, to be an

Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs).

39. Calendar No. 865: Katherine Bowles, of Alabama, to be

an Assistant Secretary of State (Legislative Affairs).

40. Calendar No. 868: Thomas B. Chapman, of Maryland, to be

a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board for a

term expiring December 31, 2028. (Reappointment).

41. Calendar No. 869: Karen Jean Hedlund, of New York, to

be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board for a term

expiring December 31, 2030. (Reappointment).

42. Calendar No. 874: Roger Mason, of Virginia, to be

Director of the National Reconnaissance Office.

43. Calendar No. 899: Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director

of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human

Services, for the term of four years.

44. Calendar No. 903: Christopher Nassar, of Oklahoma, to

be US Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the en bloc nominations process and in opposition to almost all of these nominees.

While the en bloc process unfortunately means that I have to cast a single vote for or against all 74 nominees today, I do want to reaffirm my strong support of both Democratic nominees that were reported with unanimous approval out of the Commerce Committee, Thomas Chapman and Karen Hedlund.

Thomas Chapman was renominated to the National Transportation Safety Board. He is an industry veteran who previously served on Commerce Committee staff and has a demonstrated commitment to fact-based investigations into aviation and other transportation disasters.

Karen Hedlund was renominated to serve on the Surface Transportation Board. She has served with distinction since 2022. The Surface Transportation Board is currently evaluating the largest proposed rail merger in our Nation's history. Given her prior experience at STB and years of service at USDOT, I am confident Ms. Hedlund will continue putting the public's interest first and foremost.

While I strongly support these Democratic nominees, I have more significant concerns about other nominations in the bloc.

Unfortunately, the en bloc process means that I have to cast a single vote today. Even though I support some of the nominations in the bloc, I must stand up today to speak against the other nominations and the lack of bipartisan representation at independent agencies.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure qualified candidates from both parties are appointed in the future.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 30; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of Executive Calendar No. 6, S. Res. 817, with no amendments or motions in relation to the executive resolution in order; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, Senator Murray or her designee be authorized to return the Senate to legislative session for the purpose of making a motion to proceed to Calendar No. 533, S.J. Res. 199, and the Senate vote on the motion to proceed at 11:30 a.m.; further, that if Senator Gillibrand or her designee makes a motion to discharge S.J. Res. 181, while the Senate is in legislative session, the Senate vote on the motion to discharge immediately following disposition of S.J. Res. 199, and the Senate resume executive session; further, that at 1:45 p.m., the Senate vote on adoption of the resolution; finally, if S. Res. 817 is adopted, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 6; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nominations en bloc pursuant to S. Res. 817, postcloture; further, that all time during recess, adjournment, leader remarks, and morning business count postcloture on the nominations en bloc pursuant to S. Res. 817; finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session of the Senate, that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Friday, August 7; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nominations en bloc pursuant to S. Res. 817 postcloture; further, notwithstanding rule XXII, at 11:30 a.m. the Senate proceed to legislative session and execute the order in relation to H.R. 5334; finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Friday's session of the Senate, that the motions to reconsider be made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.