[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 174 (Tuesday, November 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16063-S16064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have been working this afternoon 
trying to clear the Executive Calendar, regrettably with little or no 
success. I had a conversation with the Democratic leader about this 
just a few moments ago. He can represent his own position. But let me 
say, from my point of view, what is customarily done at the end of the 
session is we work out understandings under which we are able to, for 
the most part, except for extremely controversial nominees, clear the 
calendar. But alas, that will not be the case today. It is a result of 
another round of obstructionism. As we adjourn today, a grand total of 
95 nominees will be languishing here on the Executive Calendar awaiting 
approval. I hoped that entering the holiday season, we would be able to 
put aside our differences and work together. Instead, the politics 
seems to have overtaken reason once again.
  This level of obstructionism on the other side has reached a really 
stunning new low. An example of the positions that will be left 
languishing here, dealing with the national security of this country, 
is the Deputy Attorney General, the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, a very 
important country in the war on terrorism, the Under Secretary of State 
for Public Diplomacy and the International Trade Commission--all 
obstructed as we bring this session to an end. From those positions all 
the way down to such things as members of the African Development 
Foundation, the U.S. Postal Service, the Chemical Safety and Hazard 
Investigation Board, even the National Commission on Libraries and 
Information Science--all obstructed.
  On a day when the Senate delivered on a 38-year-old promise to 40 
million seniors to provide a prescription drug benefit, we end the day 
woefully short of our obligations. It is somewhat ironic that two of 
the victims of obstructionist are nominees to the U.S. Institute of 
Peace.

  I hope we can get serious about doing our work around here. Our work 
includes, at the very least, confirming nominations that are not 
controversial. This is disturbing. We have an Executive Calendar full 
of innocent people who are not caught up in any of the games around 
here who are being held up at the very least until we come back on 
December 9. And who knows, maybe until next year and maybe forever, 
positions from extremely important positions such as the Ambassador to 
Saudi Arabia all the way down to boards that are arguably not of any 
great consequence. It is a sad conclusion to the session.
  Hopefully, sometime over the next few weeks we can figure out a way 
to clear these nominations, these people who deserve better treatment 
by the Senate. We abuse people and abuse people and abuse people. It is 
a wonder that anyone is willing to enter into public service anymore if 
they have to go through the confirmation process.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I rise to note my disappointment with the 
impasse over nominations. Earlier this afternoon I made clear to the 
Republican leadership that the Democratic Caucus was ready to confirm 
the following nominees today for important ambassadorships around the 
world:
  David C. Mulford to be Ambassador to India, William Hudson to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, Jon

[[Page S16064]]

Purnell to be Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Margaret Scobey 
to be Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic, and Thomas Riley to be 
Ambassador to Morocco.
  These are important posts to the war on terrorism, Mr. President, and 
I regret that the Republicans were unable to clear them in order for 
the full Senate to give its advice and consent to their confirmation. 
Again, the record should reflect that these nominees would have been 
confirmed today but for Republican objections.

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