[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 21 (Thursday, February 11, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S558-S559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NOMINATION OF SUSAN CARBON

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I came to speak because there are 
Senators--anonymous Senators--who are blocking the confirmation of 
Susan Carbon, who has been nominated to be the new Director of the 
Office of Violence Against Women. Susan is from my home State of New 
Hampshire. For 2 months, the Office of Violence Against Women was 
denied leadership and direction, not because there are Senators who 
think Susan Carbon is unqualified for this position but because they 
believed that blocking her confirmation somehow gains them leverage on 
completely unrelated pet issues. I understand that, hopefully, finally 
today, after the issue had been raised in the press, that hold has been 
lifted.
  Blocking the confirmation of Susan Carbon as Director of the Office 
of Violence Against Women is a perfect example of what people see as 
what is wrong with Washington.
  Every 2 minutes, someone in this country is a victim of sexual 
violence. Every 52 seconds, a woman is victimized by a spouse or a 
partner. These crimes devastate victims' lives. They shatter families. 
They often create fear in whole communities. The Office of Violence 
Against Women leads our Nation's efforts to prevent these deadly crimes 
and to identify, capture, and punish the perpetrators.
  The Office of Violence Against Women works with law enforcement, with 
victim advocates, with the health care community, and so many others. 
It provides financial and technical assistance to communities across 
the country that are working to end domestic violence, sexual assault, 
and stalking.
  I am sure every Senator in this body personally knows someone who has 
been the victim of domestic violence or sexual assault. I am sure all 
Senators know how hard their local police and victim advocates work to 
stop domestic and sexual violence. They know how much the communities 
in their States appreciate the assistance they get from the Office of 
Violence Against Women. I would bet almost every Senator, at one time 
or another, has taken credit for the funding that the Office brings 
back to organizations within their home States.
  Yet despite a unanimous vote by the Judiciary Committee back on 
December 3 of last year that recommended Susan Carbon's confirmation, 
unnamed Senators have blocked her confirmation for 2 months.
  President Obama's choice to lead our country's efforts against 
domestic and sexual violence happens to be a State court judge from New 
Hampshire. It might interest some of the Republican Senators in this 
body to know--those who are blocking her confirmation--that it was Judd 
Gregg, the senior Republican Senator from New Hampshire, who first 
recognized Susan's capabilities and potential. In 1991, then-Governor 
Gregg appointed Susan Carbon to be a part-time district court judge. 
After I became Governor, I appointed Susan to be a full-time judge. 
Because of her commitment to ending domestic violence and her expertise 
in family law, she was named the supervisory judge of the family 
division in New Hampshire, a position she still holds.
  Susan Carbon is exceptionally qualified to serve as the Director of 
the Office of Violence Against Women. She is the leading voice in New 
Hampshire on domestic violence and family law, and she has been the 
driving force behind so many of New Hampshire's efforts to strengthen 
legal protections for victims of domestic violence.

  Susan also has become a national leader on domestic violence. She 
frequently serves as a faculty member for the National Judicial 
Institute on Domestic Violence, and she chaired the project which 
produced the guidebook for professionals and their work around domestic 
violence court orders.
  I do not know what political party Susan Carbon belongs to and it 
does not matter because she is a good and decent person who is anxious 
to take on the responsibility of leading the Office of Violence Against 
Women.
  I ask Senators who think about blocking such nominations in the 
future to imagine what it is like to explain to a nonpartisan, earnest 
public servant, eager to assume a new position of national leadership, 
that her confirmation is being blocked because one or two anonymous 
Senators want a new Federal building or some other project in their 
States or want a defense contract awarded to a certain company or 
because they are mad at Attorney General Eric Holder for some unrelated 
issue.

[[Page S559]]

  These Senators, cloaked in anonymity, were not punishing Attorney 
General Holder by blocking Susan Carbon's confirmation. These Senators 
were punishing the victims of domestic and sexual violence in States 
across this country. They were punishing the police officers who put 
their lives at risk every time they enter homes plagued by domestic 
violence. They were punishing community groups that are working to 
prevent domestic and sexual violence. What these Senators did by 
blocking the confirmation of the Director of the Office of Violence 
Against Women for 2 months was, simply and plainly, wrong.
  I hope the news that her confirmation is moving forward is a correct 
one. I hope that for the 70 or so other good public servants who are 
just trying to serve this country who have been nominated, that their 
nominations will also go forward so we can make sure people are in the 
positions they should be to run this government on behalf of the 
citizens of this country.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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