[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 197 (Monday, December 4, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7816-S7817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Tax Cuts and Jobs Bill

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I also want to express appreciation to a 
number of my colleagues and, again, Senator Portman is certainly one of 
them. We had an important night the other night with regard to the 
critical passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I think it is going to 
be very important legislation to help grow our economy and, finally, 
get money in the hands of middle-class families and small businesses so 
we can finally start growing this economy nationally and, back home in 
Alaska, get my State out of a deep recession that it is in.
  There are a lot of Senators who played critical roles. Senators 
Hatch, Portman, Toomey, Scott, and so many others, but, in particular, 
I want to thank the majority leader. There is a provision in the Tax 
Cuts and Jobs Act which I think is going to be critical for America and 
certainly critical for my State, which is to help unlock more of the 
vast energy resources we have in Alaska, particularly on the coastal 
plain of the North Slope--what we call the 1002 area of Alaska. That 
pass is part of this bill. It is something in Alaska we have been 
working through in a bipartisan manner. Over 70 percent of Alaskans 
want to get this done. We have been working on it in Alaska for over 40 
years to get this done.
  I really want to commend and thank the majority leader, Mitch 
McConnell. Over a year ago, he and I sat down to talk about doing this. 
Every step of the way, his commitment to me and to the people of Alaska 
to make this happen for my State as well as for our great country--he 
was there for us.

[[Page S7817]]

  So I want to thank the majority leader for that firm commitment to 
helping on an issue that has been critical to Alaskans for decades. We 
have never realized it. We have a lot more work to do before we get 
there, both on the tax bill and the 1002 area provision in it, but we 
are closer. We are closer, in large measure, because of the leadership 
of the majority leader, and I thank him.
  Mr. President, I have been coming to the floor--many of us have been, 
actually--for the last several weeks to talk about a really important 
issue for the country; that is, getting administration officials in the 
Trump administration confirmed by this body. There has been a 
resistance, a desire to not want to move very qualified people, 
unfortunately, by my colleagues on the other side. It is just not 
helping the country.
  With each new administration, our great Nation sees a peaceful 
transition of power. It is a remarkable pillar of American democracy. 
This doesn't include just the transition with regard to the President 
and Vice President but also the team of officials in the Federal 
Government at senior levels who are required to run this country. Good 
people, whether it is a Democratic or a Republican administration--
Republican administration is not always easy to serve--and what we have 
been trying to do is help this administration find, get nominated by 
the President, and confirm high-quality American people in these jobs 
to serve their country.
  As a Senator from Alaska, I have had particular focus on Alaskans to 
serve in positions of the Federal Government, and I will say that the 
Trump administration has been very receptive to a number of these 
highly qualified Alaskans who want to serve their country, but, 
unfortunately, what we are seeing on the other side is just 
obstruction. They don't want to move people. They never explain it.
  I have come to the floor and given this speech several times, and I 
have asked for the minority leader to come to the floor to explain why 
they are delaying all of these very well-qualified Americans who want 
to serve their government. Come to the floor and explain it. Tell the 
American people why Assistant Secretaries across Federal agencies who 
have been waiting months to be confirmed by this body, who have been 
voted out of committee, with big bipartisan numbers, sit and wait and 
wait and wait. What good is that doing for the country? Come to the 
floor and explain it. I have been asking them to come to the floor and 
explain it, and they never take me up on the offer.
  So, unfortunately, we know the numbers. At this point, 8 years ago in 
the Obama Presidency, almost 70 percent--almost 70 percent--of the 
nominees by President Obama, who won his election, were confirmed by 
the Senate.
  Now, I wasn't in the Senate then, but I know my colleagues on this 
side of the aisle, if they didn't like someone, they could vote against 
them; they could put a hold on them for a while and get their questions 
answered. So that is the way it worked. That is normal. Those numbers 
are about normal. At the same time now, under the Trump 
administration's Presidency, the Senate has only confirmed 40 percent--
40 percent. Now, is that helping the country? No. It is not helping the 
country. Do they ever come to the floor and explain why they are 
resisting? No. So it is a frustration, and it is not helping the 
country. We need good people in government.
  If this trend continues, with the number of people we need to confirm 
for the remaining Presidential-appointed positions, it will take us 
more than 11 years. Let me repeat that--more than 11 years. We all know 
a Presidential term lasts 4 years.
  This is unprecedented. It is unprecedented; go take a look. Yet the 
other side doesn't want to explain why they are so focused on 
obstruction. It is certainly not helping the people. The vast majority 
of these nominees are really well qualified.