Work Continues On Nominations, FDA Legislation
‘I was pleased to hear the Democratic Leader reaffirm his interest in working with us now to clear more nominees before the conclusion of this work period. Many of these nominees have been held up for far too long, leaving the administration without a number of key officials at various agencies. I look forward to our Democratic colleagues working with us to finish up the FDA user fees legislation I mentioned earlier as well.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the nominee confirmation process and FDA user fees legislation:
“As I said yesterday, the Senate has more work ahead this legislative period, including passing the FDA user fees legislation and confirming a number of nominees. We've made important progress already and, just last night, we passed the critical Veterans Choice legislation. That bill, which is now on its way to the president's desk, will allow many veterans to bypass long wait and travel times at VA facilities by accessing private care.
“We also confirmed several nominees. We confirmed eight officials who will be critical to advancing administration policy in the Defense Department. It’s a good start, but we have other nominees to confirm for many other positions, both security and non-security related, across many different agencies and departments. In the national security realm, for instance, we must confirm nominees for the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Intelligence Community. The Senate also came together to confirm a well-qualified judicial nominee for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals as well as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher A. Wray.
“The position of FBI Director is one of great importance when it comes to protecting the American people — especially at a time when we face a range of threats both at home and abroad. Wray’s impressive credentials, demeanor, and commitment to the rule of law make clear that he is the right person to lead the Bureau in its efforts to keep our communities safe. The work of an FBI Director is difficult, but I’m confident Wray is capable of shouldering this important responsibility, and that he will lead the FBI with the strength and professionalism that the position demands.
“Our work on nominees continues today. We will, for instance, take a procedural vote on a nomination for the National Labor Relations Board later this morning. But there is more to do.
“I was pleased to hear the Democratic Leader reaffirm his interest in working with us now to clear more nominees before the conclusion of this work period. Many of these nominees have been held up for far too long, leaving the administration without a number of key officials at various agencies. I look forward to our Democratic colleagues working with us to finish up the FDA user fees legislation I mentioned earlier as well.”
Related Issues: Nominations
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