McConnell: Let’s Consider and Confirm These Nominees Without Delay
‘This week, as I stated yesterday, the Senate will focus on the personnel business. Six well-qualified nominees are currently before the Senate. They’re awaiting the full consideration they clearly deserve. Their nominations have been vetted. Their expertise is well-known. Their positions sit empty, waiting to be filled. The American people are waiting for their president to have his full team, and for their federal government to be appropriately staffed.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the need to confirm more of the president’s well-qualified nominees:
“This week, as I stated yesterday, the Senate will focus on the personnel business. Six well-qualified nominees are currently before the Senate. They’re awaiting the full consideration they clearly deserve. Their nominations have been vetted. Their expertise is well-known. Their positions sit empty, waiting to be filled. The American people are waiting for their president to have his full team, and for their federal government to be appropriately staffed.
“Now, if last evening’s vote to advance Claria Horn Boom’s district court nomination were any indication, we’d be in for a productive week. Ninety-six of our colleagues voted in support. Ninety-six. With such broad bipartisan support, you might think that filing cloture should not have been necessary in the first place. With nominees as uncontroversial as these, you might think the Senate should roll quickly through them and move on to other business.
“But unfortunately, for more than a year now, our Democratic friends used the partisan playbook to delay and obstruct even the least-controversial nominees. So unless we can reach the kind of bipartisan agreement that was once the norm, and process noncontroversial nominees more promptly, we’re left with no choice but to proceed the hard way. And that’s just what we’ve done. Facing historic obstruction, Republicans have confirmed ambitious reformers to crucial posts where fresh ideas were long overdue.
“And we’ve confirmed top-notch legal minds to the federal bench, including a record number of circuit court judges for a president’s first year and the generational choice of Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court one year ago today.
“Now, I’ve already stated the Senate will remain in session as long as it takes to clear this slate of nominees. Following the confirmation of Ms. Boom, we’ll move to consideration of John Ring to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. After Mr. Ring come nominees to the Department of Labor, the EPA, and two more nominees to fill district court vacancies. All vetted. All qualified. All sitting here in the Senate.
“In at least one case, several of my Democratic friends have already proactively announced support for the nominee. Let’s get back on track together. Let’s consider and confirm these nominees without delay.”
Related Issues: Judicial Nominations, Nominations, Labor, Energy
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