[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 155 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7428-S7430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BLOCKING NOMINATIONS
Mr. REID. Mr. President, Congressional Republicans continue to govern
destructively during this 114th Congress. After nearly a year in
control of the Senate, what do Republicans have to show for it?
Shutdown threats, lapsed laws, vital programs expired, and an abiding
sense of uncertainty. Instead of looking for opportunities to govern
constructively, Republicans appear to be bent on mayhem. They are doing
everything they can to appeal to their extreme rightwing without regard
to the consequences.
It seems that every day that is a bad day for government, we have a
large segment of the Republican caucus cheering that it is great.
Anything that is bad for government is a good day for us, is what they
are saying. Instead of looking for opportunities to govern
constructively, they are doing everything they can to not do things
constructively. They are doing everything they can to appeal to, I
guess, the extreme rightwing, to phrase it, without regard to the
consequences, but consequences are very significant.
This afternoon we are finally confirming Ambassadors for several
African nations, but to view the confirmation of four individuals a
success would be a mistake, when we consider that Senate Republicans
are doing everything they can to stop these nominees.
Just 2 weeks ago, the junior Senator from Arkansas announced his
intention to hold up our Ambassadors to Sweden, Norway, and the
Bahamas. At a time when American leadership is needed abroad, these
posts sit empty because the junior Senator from Arkansas is blocking
them. Why is Senator Cotton blocking these nominees? He has admitted
his hold has nothing to do with the nominees' qualifications--nothing.
Indeed, all were reported out of the Foreign Relations Committee with
bipartisan support months ago. Instead, the junior Senator from
Arkansas is holding these nominees hostage until he gets information
from the Department of Homeland Security. That is right. He is holding
up State Department nominations to get a response from Homeland
Security. Blocking important Ambassadors to get information from a
completely different agency makes zero sense. That is akin to having
two fighters in a ring and one fighter is going for the referee instead
of the other boxer. That is about what we have here. The sad part about
this is that the junior Senator from Arkansas is not alone in blocking
qualified nominees. The Republican caucus is obviously supporting him.
Why?
I have spoken before about the crucial need to confirm Gayle Smith as
Ambassador to the U.S. Agency for International Development. She would
be a good Administrator. I talked to one of my staff yesterday who has
a relative who works for this Agency. It is terrible. There is nobody
leading the Agency. It has affected the whole department. That is
wrong.
Why is this nomination important? The Agency for International
Development, better known as USAID, plays a central role in our
Nation's foreign policy. How? By administering humanitarian and
development aid to nations of people in need. A person only needs to
watch the nightly news to see that help is needed across the globe--the
pictures of the huddled masses of men, women, and children now with the
weather turning in Europe. There are millions of people trying to get
out of Syria, trying to get out of the Middle East because of what is
going on there, with blankets--wet blankets--over their bodies. Little
kids are being protected by their mothers, as much as they can be, and
by their dads. Victims of civil wars, disease outbreaks, and natural
disasters depend on the aid and compassion of the American people. To
our credit, we try our best to help as much as possible.
Let's take one example: the Syrian refugee crisis. It is the worst
humanitarian crisis since World War II. That says a lot. Millions--not
thousands, millions--of Syrians have been displaced because of the
country's civil war. Thousands are fleeing to Europe to escape the
violence. Because of that civil war, it is estimated that there are 4
million displaced people in Syria alone. Millions have been displaced
in Iraq. The whole Middle East is in turmoil. The United States has an
obligation to assist--a humanitarian obligation to assist. We are the
single largest donor of humanitarian aid for the Syrian crisis. But how
can we help if Senate Republicans are hamstringing this Agency? They
are doing that.
Gayle Smith, an experienced public servant, has been nominated to
lead this Agency. This good woman can't even get a vote in the Senate.
Senator Cruz has been blocking her nomination for months. Why? Is there
anything that is wrong about her? Of course not. The word is it is
because he doesn't like the Iran nuclear agreement. Remember what the
Iran nuclear agreement was? It was an effort by the international
community, including Russia and China, to stop Iran from getting a
nuclear weapon. That is what it was all about. I guess Mr. Cruz, in his
attempt to become President--1 of 15 Republicans running for
President--thinks this would be a good issue for him, blocking the
person this government has chosen to lead this Agency.
Gayle Smith has extensive experience in African affairs. She worked
at this Agency during the Clinton administration. She is exactly the
type of leader our country needs to confront this crisis in Europe.
Even the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the junior
Senator from Tennessee, said he was ``glad the executive branch has
nominated someone who has the kind of experience [Smith] has.'' Her
nomination has won support from prominent Republicans, including Bill
Frist who was one of my predecessors as the majority leader in the
Senate, and from Richard Lugar, the distinguished Republican, former
chair of the Foreign Relations Committee in
[[Page S7429]]
the Senate, a man who has expertise in foreign relations. They both see
her as the person to do the job. But that does not affect the junior
Senator from Texas.
We know how others feel about him. Former President Bush gave his
opinion of the junior Senator from Texas 2 days ago. There is
widespread support for her nomination--if only the Republican leader
would bring it to the floor. Yet Republicans continue to hold Ms. Smith
and other important foreign policy nominations as ransom to exact
political prices from the White House while our diplomacy suffers.
I am disappointed that the junior Senators from Arkansas and Texas
would hold up these proud Americans who only want to serve their
country. But I am far more disheartened by the actions of Republicans
who should know better. Why do other Republicans support these callous
actions? Republicans have blocked nominees to other ambassadorships for
years. Now they are even blocking career Foreign Service officers.
These are people who simply receive a promotion they have earned and
serve our Nation regardless of the President. Foreign Service officers
are not Democrats. They are not Republicans. They do our country so
much good.
I have had the good fortune to travel the world. When I travel I
always meet with the Foreign Service officers, not just the
Ambassadors. I get everybody together. I tell them what a wonderful job
they do for our country. They go to the most remote outposts in the
world, representing the interests of America. They are career people. I
also try to visit with the Peace Corps volunteers.
But I am so disappointed--and I have talked to him--in the senior
Senator from Iowa for holding up a list of 20 career Foreign Service
officers. He has held them up for months until he gets answers from
Secretary Hillary Clinton's aide Huma Abedin. What does this have to do
with these Foreign Service career officers? Nothing. He sent nine
letters to the State Department demanding things regarding this woman
and some emails from Hillary Clinton. Haven't we heard enough about
emails for Hillary Clinton?
As we talk, she is over there before this great committee of the
House that even the majority leader of the House said is nothing more
than--I am paraphrasing--a political witch hunt. The Republican
Congressman from New York said basically the same thing. A person who
works over there in that committee was fired because he thought it was
wrong that they were going after Hillary Clinton when the purpose of
the whole hearing was supposed to be to find out what happened in
Libya.
There has been a concerted effort for more than 2 years to try to
embarrass Hillary Clinton. Huge amounts of money have been spent on
outside groups, and the House of Representatives, which is supposedly
so frugal--the Republican House of Representatives--doesn't want to
spend any money that shouldn't be spent--$5 million on this worthless
committee wasting time.
Listen to these people who are being held up, being denied a well-
deserved promotion and rank by the senior Senator from Iowa. This is
important. These people serve for decades. They work hard, and they get
a promotion once in a while--not with the help of the senior Senator
from Iowa. He will hold them up because he wants to try to embarrass
Hillary Clinton, who is running for President of the United States.
Here is who he is holding up: the Deputy Director for East Africa
Operations in Kenya, an education officer in Honduras, a deputy
controller in El Salvador, a regional Food for Peace officer in
Ethiopia, the Director of the Food for Peace Program in South Sudan,
the Democracy and Governance Director in El Salvador. There are others.
What could the senior Senator from Iowa possibly have against the
Deputy Director for East Africa Operations in Kenya? Or an education
officer in Honduras? Or the regional Food for Peace officer in
Ethiopia? They have absolutely nothing to do with Senator Grassley's
concerns, and these individuals have no ability to respond to any of
his requests. I have spoken with him. I told him I think it is a
mistake to target these career people. Career diplomats are some of the
finest people who work for our government. They are not partisans. They
have committed their lives to public service under Democratic and
Republican administrations. The Foreign Relations Committee reported
these nominations unanimously. They hail from Texas, Florida, Michigan,
Arizona, Virginia, New Mexico, and a few other States. Like other
Foreign Service officers across this great world, these fine
individuals wake up tomorrow ready to serve on the frontlines of
American diplomacy in hotspots throughout the world--places such as
Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, where we lost four.
Denying them a promotion they have earned will affect their career
advancement and retirement, and it has real consequences for the
families. This is not anything that is going to hurt President Obama.
It affects our country. These are people who have families. They have
children. They are being held up, stopped for this little promotion
they get once in a while. We shouldn't be singling out these
nonpartisan officers and putting their careers on hold because the
senior Senator from Iowa is not getting the answer to nine of his
letters that have nothing to do with these people.
Promotions for military officers and our Foreign Service Officer
Corps have traditionally moved through the Senate without political
interference. They shouldn't now be subjected to political gamesmanship
because people are concerned that Hillary Clinton may be elected
President. Senators Grassley and Cotton have also placed holds on a man
named Brian Egan to serve as the State Department's Legal Adviser, a
lawyer--a position that has been vacant for 2\1/2\ years. The senior
Senator from Iowa stated that his hold is not intended to question the
credentials of Brian Egan in any way, but is instead related to Clinton
aide Huma Abedin. That says it all.
He continues to hound the State Department. He sent nine different
letters, including requesting Ms. Abedin's sensitive private employment
information. Not only does Senator Grassley want emails and timesheets,
but he wants access to any and all information related to her maternity
leave. She had a baby. I wonder if he thinks she faked that. This is
nothing more than a transparent attempt to drag this good woman through
the mud. For what? Let's be clear. This isn't about her. This is about
Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign. Congressional Republicans are
desperate to find something--anything--to embarrass this good woman--a
woman who served as First Lady of this country, served as a Senator
from the State of New York, and served with distinction as our
Secretary of State. They will do anything they can to embarrass her.
They are in the process of doing it across the Capitol Complex now.
They have told her to be ready: We have 8 hours of questioning.
Remember, their questions are dealing with issues that have nothing to
do with what happened in Libya.
This is their frantic attempt to damage her politically. I say to my
friend from Iowa: Stop this nonsense. Have some dignity. Stop this
obstruction for politics' sake. For whatever sake, it is wrong. She is
no longer Secretary of State. She hasn't been for a long time. John
Kerry is. Secretary Kerry has been there a long time now. Stop trying
to undermine the State Department, and instead give it the resources
and people it needs to work for the American people.
I suggest to my Republican colleagues, if they seek expedited
responses to their inquiries, it would make more sense to confirm the
Legal Adviser, who can advise on these issues and respond to their
questions--they don't have a lawyer down there--rather than to block
these nominations so that he can't assist anyone.
Senate Republicans are holding Ambassadors captive over an issue that
has absolutely nothing to do with the State Department. They are
holding up career Foreign Service officers. The Senate Republicans are
blocking promotions for a group of career people over an issue that has
nothing to do with them, that they possibly can't resolve. They can't
do anything about it. They are blocking the person who would be running
our Agency for International Aid because they don't like the Iran
agreement--an issue that the nominee does not handle.
[[Page S7430]]
Finally, Senate Republicans are blocking the nomination of the Legal
Adviser of the State Department, the person who would be best able to
answer their legal questions if he were confirmed. Thanks to the
Republicans' failure to govern--now I am not making this up. It has
been determined by political scientists in our country that this
Congress is the most unproductive Congress in the history of the
country. Thanks to the Republicans' failure to govern, we are still far
behind recent historic norms in confirming nominees, and innocent
public servants are caught in the middle of this do-nothing Congress
led by the Republicans. It is not right, and it is not fair. I hope
adult voices in the Republican caucus will say enough is enough.
Sometimes enough is enough. People have to rise up against these people
who are giving Republicans such a name. The brand is not so good. I
hope the Presiding Officer understands that. Partisanship should not
extend beyond the borders of our Nation. It is time for Republicans to
start acting like a governing party and stop playing these games with
our national security based on the fact that they don't like the person
who is President of the United States and the one who is going to
become President of the United States.
Will the Chair announce what our business is today?
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