[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate continued its 
efforts to confirm the President's talented nominees to staff the 
Federal Government.
  We advanced the nomination of David Zatezalo to serve as the 
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, an important 
position to the thousands of miners in States like Kentucky. I look 
forward to confirming his nomination early this afternoon, along with 
that of Mark Esper, who will be confirmed to another important 
position, Secretary of the Army.
  Also, we will turn to Joseph Otting, President Trump's nominee to 
serve as Comptroller of the Currency. This position is crucial to 
protecting our national banking system, and Mr. Otting has the 
experience necessary to excel there.
  Then, the Senate will continue our efforts to ensure that our 
Nation's judiciary fulfills its proper role in our democracy by 
confirming two more talented nominees to serve as Federal district 
court judges. President Trump has continued to nominate individuals who 
will interpret the law as it is actually written, not as they wish it 
were.
  Donald Coggins has been nominated to serve as district court judge 
for the District of South Carolina. He has been in private practice in 
South Carolina for over three decades. The Senate Judiciary Committee 
reported his nomination by a voice vote. He is a talented nominee, and 
I look forward to confirming him soon.
  Then the Senate will consider the nomination of Dabney Friedrich to 
serve as district court judge for the District of Columbia. Ms. 
Friedrich has a wealth of experience, having been in private practice 
and having served as assistant U.S. attorney in both the Eastern 
District of Virginia and the Southern District of California, and she 
has been confirmed twice by the Senate as a Commissioner of the U.S. 
Sentencing Commission. The Judiciary Committee also reported her 
nomination by a voice vote. These nominees will respect the rule of law 
on the Federal bench, and they should be confirmed without delay.
  I would like to again thank Chairman Grassley for his commitment to 
bringing the President's impressive judicial nominees to the floor. 
These are both respected nominees who have the support of Members on 
both sides of the aisle, and I hope we can consider their nominations 
without any partisan procedural hurdles. We should confirm them soon.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. 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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