Floor Statements

Madam President, when the 119th Congress commences next year, one of the first great tasks of this body will be fulfilling our constitutional duty to provide advice and consent regarding the President-elect's nominees.

The advice and consent authority is a cornerstone of the Senate's constitutional mandate, a power central to preserving America's system of checks and balances. The Founding Fathers knew firsthand the great danger of allowing unchecked Executives to appoint individuals to positions of power without any guardrails. In fact, this was one of their greatest grievances against the British Crown.

Very soon, the Senate will be called upon to exercise its advice and consent authority once again as a new administration enters office next year.

The Senate's advice and consent power will be especially important next year given that the President-elect has at times made statements about potentially working around the Senate to appoint his nominees. Hopefully, this doesn't become an issue.

But, nevertheless, it will be the responsibility of the incoming Republican majority to protect the Senate against any attempt to erode its authority.

So, today, I sent a letter to incoming Republican Leader Thune, urging him

to uphold the Senate's constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on the President's nominations. I said Democrats will be ready to work with Republicans in a bipartisan way on the nominations process and give each nominee the same fair and thorough consideration that previous nominees of both parties have received.

We should hold hearings with the nominees and markups in committees. And Senators should be given the chance to vote on nominees here on the Senate floor.

The American people deserve public servants who put the needs of the country ahead of the political needs of any individual, Republican or Democrat. The American people deserve public servants whose judgment, character, and experience inspires confidence and reflects our Nation's highest ideals.

Most of all, the American people deserve public servants who will uphold their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

The best mechanism for ensuring the President appoints qualified, capable, and ethical officials is precisely the advice and consent power of the Senate. And it will be the responsibility of the incoming majority and the incoming majority leader to ensure that the authority of the Senate is carried out and preserved.

I urge incoming Leader Thune and Senate Republicans to work with Democrats to protect the Senate's authorities under the Constitution.

Madam President, now, on Senate business, we are at the beginning of what will be a very busy December. There is a lot the Senate has to do, both on the nominations and the legislative side and not a lot of time to do them.

Let me begin with the nominations. We are picking up where we left off before Thanksgiving, confirming more of the President's nominees to the bench and to Federal Agencies of great importance to the American people.

Later this afternoon, the Senate will vote to confirm the nomination of Anne Hwang to be District Judge for the Central District of California. As the week progresses, Members should be advised we aim to hold additional confirmation votes on the nominees that we invoked cloture on before the Thanksgiving break. We hope to move to them as soon as possible.

On the legislative side, the Senate also has a handful of priorities we must deal with before the year is out: the annual Defense authorization bill--the NDAA--and the legislation to prevent a shutdown right before Christmas.

On government funding, both sides are making progress negotiating on a bill that can pass the House and Senate with bipartisan support. We need to keep divisive and unnecessary provisions out of any government funding extension or else it will get harder to pass a CR in time.

For now, I am pleased negotiations are on the right track, and I thank the appropriators in both Chambers for their good work.

Now on the NDAA, I am hopeful that we are close to beginning the process of moving the bipartisan bill through both Chambers. The NDAA has been passed without fail for decades with the cooperation from both sides, and I hope this year is no exception. Few priorities matter more than providing for our national defense and taking care of our troops in uniform and their families.

Finally, Senate Democrats will keep pushing to finish work on a disaster aid package, to replenish the many relief programs that are dangerously low on resources. The President sent us his request last month and spelled out in very clear detail the disastrous consequences should Congress fail to act. I remain hopeful we can get a disaster package done soon. National disasters affect red States and blue States and purple States and everything in between.

We have a long tradition in this Chamber of coming together when it comes to disaster aid, with very few exceptions. We should come together again at the end of the year to get disaster aid done or we may not be ready to respond the next time Mother Nature wreaks havoc on our communities.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 842.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 843.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 844.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 845.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.