Floor Statements

Mr. President, as I said yesterday, the Senate has a number of nominations to consider in the coming days.

Yesterday we voted to advance a well-qualified judicial nominee to serve on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Soon we will consider one of the President's nominations for the National Labor Relations Board, and we obviously need to confirm an FBI Director. I would hope, with all the threats facing us at home and abroad, our Democratic colleagues would not launch the first filibuster of a nominee to be FBI Director, especially one who was reported out of the Judiciary Committee by a vote to 20 to 0. These are just a few of the many nominees who need to be acted upon and quickly.

Up until now, our friends across the aisle have thrown up one unnecessary procedural hurdle after the next on even the most uncontroversial of nominees. As a result, I noted last month that at the pace we were going, it would take more than 11 years to confirm the remaining Presidential appointments. Well, that pace has slowed even further. Now it would take 12 years.

It is time to end this.

I look forward to our Democratic colleagues cooperating with us to do that so the Senate can spend its time considering other things that are important to our constituents. We have legislation to address over the remainder of this work period as well. Our veterans deserve the best care the country can provide. Under the last administration's VA scandal, the veterans were let down in a big way. Congress came together in the wake of that scandal to pass the Veterans Choice Program, which allows many veterans to skip the long wait and travel times at some VA facilities and access private care.

The House recently acted to shore up this program on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, 414 to nothing. Now the Senate needs to act as well.

We also need to renew the FDA User Fee Program. This program is critical to speeding up the drug approval process, and that is important to everyone frustrated by the time and costs of bringing lifesaving drugs to market. Without it, the important work of ensuring that drugs and devices are safe and effective would literally come to a screeching halt. Every 5 years, these agreements need to be reviewed and reauthorized. The Senate legislation to do so was reported by the HELP Committee on a 21-to-2 bipartisan vote, and given the lifesaving developments in immunotherapy and personalized medicine on the horizon, it is more important than ever.

We have important work to do over the remainder of this work period. I hope colleagues will cooperate across the aisle in our efforts to do so.

Mr. President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 237, submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk due for a second reading.

In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceedings.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the papers with respect to H.J. Res. 76 be returned to the House of Representatives at their request.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at 2:15 p.m. today, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 178, the nomination of Christopher Wray to be Director of the FBI. I further ask that there be 4 hours of debate on the nomination, equally divided in the usual form; that following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action. I further ask that following disposition of the Wray nomination, all postcloture time on the Newsom nomination be considered expired.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 174,

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived with respect to the cloture motion.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session for the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 61, 63, 162, 174, 194, 246, 248, and 249.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that no further motions be in order; that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, for the information of Senators, the Senate just confirmed eight nominees for the Defense Department.

Mr. President, on behalf of myself and the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Schumer, I send to the desk a resolution on documentary production by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, earlier this year the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs completed an investigation into internet sex trafficking. After completing that investigation, the Subcommittee referred its staff reports and findings to the United States Department of Justice for additional investigation. The Subcommittee has received a request from the Department seeking access to records that the Subcommittee obtained during the investigation.

In keeping with the Senate's practice under its rules, this resolution would authorize the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, acting jointly, to provide records, obtained by the Subcommittee in the course of its investigation, in response to this request and requests from other Federal or State government entities and officials with a legitimate need for the records.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the material of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, this week the Senate will continue considering a number of nominations, beginning with Kevin Newsom of Alabama to serve as judge on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Newsom has earned bipartisan support, having been voted out of the Judiciary Committee 18 to 2. As Chairman Grassley pointed out prior to that vote, several lifelong Democrats and Republicans have penned letters to the committee touting Mr. Newsom's ``professionalism and qualifications.'' He is an ``exceptionally accomplished nominee,'' Chairman Grassley said, ``who spent the last 20 years building an impressive legal resume.''

That resume includes things like clerking for an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, serving as Alabama's solicitor general, and earning an appointment to the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules.

For his exceptional work, Mr. Newsom has garnered a number of awards from the legal community. The American Lawyer magazine has included him on its list of America's top 50 litigators under age 45. Chambers USA has ranked him Band 1 for appellate litigation. The National Association of Attorneys General has awarded him on several occasions the Best Brief Award for his briefing before the Supreme Court.

During his impressive legal career, Mr. Newsom has argued four cases before the Supreme Court, filed amicus briefs in many other cases, and argued more than 35 cases in Federal circuit courts.

As indicated by his distinguished professional background, Mr. Newsom will be an excellent addition to the court. I look forward to supporting his nomination today and confirming him to the Eleventh Circuit later this week.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 executive session to consider Calendar No. 175, Marvin Kaplan.

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

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of Executive Calendar Nos. 195 through 223, with the exception of COL John K. Muller, and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Foreign Service, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.