[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 10, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this week, as I stated yesterday, the 
Senate will focus on personnel business.
  Six well-qualified nominees are currently before the Senate. They are 
awaiting the full consideration they clearly deserve. Their nominations 
have been vetted. Their expertise is well known. Their positions sit 
empty, waiting to be filled. The American people are waiting for their 
President to have his full team and for their Federal Government to be 
appropriately staffed.
  If last evening's vote to advance Claria Horn Boom's district court 
nomination were any indication, we would be in for a productive week. 
Ninety-six of our colleagues voted in support--96. With such broad 
bipartisan support, you might think that filing cloture should not have 
been necessary in the first place.
  With nominees as uncontroversial as these, you might think the Senate 
would roll quickly through them and move on to other business, but 
unfortunately, for more than a year now, our Democratic friends have 
used the partisan playbook to delay and obstruct even the least 
controversial nominees. So unless we can reach the kind of bipartisan 
agreement that was once the norm around here and process 
noncontroversial nominees more promptly, we are left with no choice but 
to proceed the hard way, and that is just what we have done.
  Facing historic obstruction, Republicans have confirmed ambitious 
reformists to crucial posts where fresh ideas were long overdue, and we 
have confirmed top-notch legal minds to the Federal bench, including a 
record number of circuit court judges for a President's first year and 
the generational choice of Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed to 
the Supreme Court 1 year ago today.
  I have already stated that the Senate will remain in session as long 
as it takes to clear this slate of nominees. Following the confirmation 
of Ms. Boom, we will move to consideration of John Ring to serve on the 
National Labor Relations Board. After Mr. Ring comes nominees to the 
Department of Labor, the EPA, and two more nominees to fill district 
court vacancies--all vetted, all qualified, all sitting right here in 
the Senate. In at least one case, several of my Democratic friends have 
already proactively announced support for the nominee. So let's get 
back on track together. Let's consider and confirm these nominees 
without delay.