[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 14, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1135-S1136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, over the past several weeks, we have 
seen unprecedented obstruction from our colleagues across the aisle. 
This made the confirmation of the President's nominees the slowest in 
modern history. It has left several key departments without a permanent 
secretary at the helm for far too long. What is the point of the 
needless delay? What is the point? Our friends are slow-walking votes, 
not changing outcomes.
  We took several important steps last night to move the nominations 
process forward. We confirmed Steve Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary. 
After 8 years of failing economic policy, stagnant growth, and a tough 
job market, it is clear we need a new direction to get our country back 
on track. We need a new direction on regulations--smarter and pro-
growth. We need a new direction on taxes--simpler and pro-jobs. If we 
are going to accomplish either of those goals, we are going to need new 
leadership at the helm of the Treasury Department. Secretary Mnuchin 
has real-world understanding of the private sector, and he is ready to 
work with both sides to get the economy moving.
  Second, we confirmed Dr. David Shulkin as Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs. The debt we owe our servicemembers and their families extends 
far beyond any program or benefit the government can provide, but 
through the VA, we should be doing everything we can to fulfill our 
commitments to veterans and their families, like the more than 300,000 
veterans who call Kentucky home. Secretary Shulkin will be tasked with 
overseeing that our veterans in Kentucky and across the Nation receive 
quality and timely care. It is a heavy burden, but he seems up to the 
task. The chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Isakson, 
has a well-deserved reputation for working tirelessly on behalf of our 
veterans, which makes it notable that his committee voted unanimously 
to recommend Dr. Shulkin to the Senate and the full Senate confirmed 
him unanimously too.
  We haven't seen much of that lately.
  I am confident that Secretary Shulkin will work with Congress to 
build on the progress we have already made in expanding accessibility 
and improving accountability at the VA.
  Third, I took the necessary procedural steps last night to allow us 
to confirm the rest of the nominees on the calendar: Representative 
Mick Mulvaney, the nominee for Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget, who can help get our Nation back on track fiscally; Scott 
Pruitt, the nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, who can bring much needed change after 8 years of heavyhanded, 
job-killing regulations; Wilbur Ross, nominee for Commerce Secretary, 
who can help promote job creation and economic growth; Representative 
Ryan Zinke, nominee for Interior Secretary, who can help improve our 
Nation's land use and conservation policies; Dr. Ben Carson, nominee 
for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who can help reform HUD 
to better serve the American people; and Governor Rick Perry, nominee 
for Energy Secretary, who can help guide us toward smarter energy 
policies to grow our economy and strengthen national security.
  Beginning with Representative Mulvaney, we can get each of these 
nominees confirmed soon. With cooperation from across the aisle, we can 
put them to work for the American people even sooner.
  We will be able to put another important nominee to work just this 
morning, one who understands how to help businesses flourish. The last 
8 years have been very difficult for our economy, for workers, and for 
small businesses. I am confident that the President's pick to lead the 
Small Business Administration, Linda McMahon, will prioritize growing 
jobs over growing government bureaucracy. In so many States, including 
mine, that is a welcome change of pace from Washington. Small 
businesses help drive America's economy, and they help drive Kentucky's 
economy as well. Almost half of all the private sector jobs in 
Kentucky--about 700,000--come from the more than 340,000 small 
businesses

[[Page S1136]]

across the Commonwealth. These small businesses not only grow the 
economy, but they also serve important roles in our communities.
  Mrs. McMahon, who has built a company from the ground up, understands 
the many challenges small businesses can face. She certainly has come a 
long way from sharing a desk with her husband and leasing a typewriter. 
I commend her for her willingness to serve her country, and I look 
forward to her confirmation later this morning.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The assistant Democratic leader.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the Democratic leader, Senator Schumer, is 
likely to come to the floor soon, and I will certainly defer to him at 
a later time, but I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning 
business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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