[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 149 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S6437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  NOMINATION OF PETER MICHAEL McKINLEY, A CAREER MEMBER OF THE SENIOR 
    FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF MINISTER-COUNSELOR, TO BE AMBASSADOR 
 EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO 
                  THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN

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 NOMINATION OF RICHARD RAHUL VERMA TO BE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND 
  PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC OF 
                                 INDIA

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     NOMINATION OF TONY HAMMOND TO BE A COMMISSIONER OF THE POSTAL 
                         REGULATORY COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

   NOMINATION OF NANCI E. LANGLEY TO BE A COMMISSIONER OF THE POSTAL 
                         REGULATORY COMMISSION

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to the consideration of the following nominations, which the 
clerk will report.
  The assistant bill clerk read the nominations of Peter Michael 
McKinley, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, 
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic 
of Afghanistan; Richard Rahul Verma, of Maryland, to be Ambassador 
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to 
the Republic of India; Tony Hammond, of Missouri, to be a Commissioner 
of the Postal Regulatory Commission; Nanci E. Langley, of Hawaii, to be 
a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I yield back the time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.


                      Vote on McKinley Nomination

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is, 
Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Peter Michael 
McKinley, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, 
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic 
of Afghanistan?
  The nomination was confirmed.


                        Vote on Verma Nomination

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is, 
Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Richard Rahul 
Verma, of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary 
of the United States of America to the Republic of India?
  The nomination was confirmed.


                       Vote on Hammond Nomination

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is, 
Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Tony Hammond, 
of Missouri, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission?
  The nomination was confirmed.


                       Vote on Langley Nomination

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is, 
Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Nanci E. 
Langley, of Hawaii, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory 
Commission?
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motions to 
reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table and the 
President will be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.


                      lodge and walter nominations

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I voted to confirm Virginia Lodge and 
Ron Walter to be members of the Board of the Tennessee Valley 
Authority. I believe that these nominees are qualified and have 
demonstrated the characteristics that will enable them to fulfill their 
duties in supporting the mission of the TVA.
  According to the TVA Act, the Board sets the broad strategies and 
goals of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Given the many changes facing 
our electricity system, those strategies for TVA--one of the Nation's 
biggest utilities--are critical. As technology changes the future of 
energy production and energy use, the administration is busy unleashing 
costly regulations that risk damaging our economy for little 
environmental gain.
  Navigating these crosscurrents, TVA's Board must strive to keep 
electricity costs low through prudential and nonideological 
decisionmaking. They must continue the work of TVA's current management 
to cut costs without impacting service. Only through demanding 
decisions based on data and through questioning assumptions will they 
successfully lead TVA through today's challenges.
  Also of importance is TVA's continued maintenance and eventual 
completion of the Bellefonte nuclear power plant. In the 1970s, TVA 
made plans to build a large number of nuclear reactors, but it 
abandoned those plans after completing several plants while others--
including two units at Bellefonte--were only partially completed. TVA 
continues to maintain its assets at Bellefonte, where it has invested 
$6 billion. I know that these nominees will examine the cost to 
complete Bellefonte and the baseload demand forecasts for TVA to best 
determine when the plant should be completed.
  I believe the nominees have demonstrated the ability to serve 
effectively and I look forward to their service on the Board and to 
working with them for the betterment of the region in the years to 
come.

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