[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 130 (Tuesday, August 1, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4634-S4635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Work Before the Senate

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as I said yesterday, the Senate has a 
number of nominations to consider in the coming days.
  Yesterday we voted to advance a well-qualified judicial nominee to 
serve on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
  Soon we will consider one of the President's nominations for the 
National Labor Relations Board, and we obviously need to confirm an FBI 
Director. I would hope, with all the threats facing us at home and 
abroad, our Democratic colleagues would not launch the first filibuster 
of a nominee to be FBI Director, especially one who was reported out of 
the Judiciary Committee by a vote to 20 to 0. These are just a few of 
the many nominees who need to be acted upon and quickly.
  Up until now, our friends across the aisle have thrown up one 
unnecessary procedural hurdle after the next on even the most 
uncontroversial of nominees. As a result, I noted last month that at 
the pace we were going, it would take more than 11 years to confirm the 
remaining Presidential appointments. Well, that pace has slowed even 
further. Now it would take 12 years.
  It is time to end this.
  I look forward to our Democratic colleagues cooperating with us to do 
that so the Senate can spend its time considering other things that are 
important to our constituents. We have legislation to address over the 
remainder of this work period as well. Our veterans deserve the best 
care the country can provide. Under the last administration's VA 
scandal, the veterans were let down in a big way. Congress came 
together in the wake of that scandal to pass the Veterans Choice 
Program, which allows many veterans to skip the long wait and travel 
times at some VA facilities and access private care.
  The House recently acted to shore up this program on an 
overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, 414 to nothing. Now the Senate needs 
to act as well.
  We also need to renew the FDA User Fee Program. This program is 
critical to speeding up the drug approval process, and that is 
important to everyone frustrated by the time and costs of bringing 
lifesaving drugs to market. Without it, the important work of ensuring 
that drugs and devices are safe and effective would literally come to a 
screeching halt. Every 5 years, these agreements need to be reviewed 
and reauthorized. The Senate legislation to do so was reported by the 
HELP Committee on a 21-to-2 bipartisan vote, and given the lifesaving 
developments in immunotherapy and personalized medicine on the horizon, 
it is more important than ever.
  We have important work to do over the remainder of this work period. 
I hope colleagues will cooperate across the aisle in our efforts to do 
so.

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