[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 65 (Monday, April 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2333-S2334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Mike Pompeo

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today our colleagues on the Foreign 
Relations Committee will vote to report the President's choice for the 
next Secretary of State.
  It is really hard to imagine someone more thoroughly qualified than 
Mike Pompeo. His career is a success story on every single level. He 
graduated first in his class from West Point, served as a U.S. Army 
officer, and attended Harvard Law School. Then came success in 
business, and then Mike's neighbors elected him to Congress in 2010.
  That impressive resume explains why, a little more than a year ago, a 
large bipartisan majority of Senators confirmed Mike as CIA Director. 
His qualifications were perfectly obvious, and, by all accounts, his 
track record at the CIA shows that vote of confidence was exactly the 
right decision. He has demonstrated mastery of the daily briefings he 
both receives and delivers. His high-quality counsel on sensitive 
matters has won the confidence not only of our national clandestine 
service but also of the Commander in Chief, and he has returned our CIA 
to the aggressive gathering of foreign intelligence. Along the way, he 
has built a reputation for listening to all points of view, trusting 
career staff, treating everyone fairly, and acting decisively.
  In Mike Pompeo, the United States will have a chief diplomat who will 
enjoy the total confidence of the President and is uniquely qualified 
to reinvigorate our Foreign Service and represent our interests abroad. 
It is hard to imagine a better nominee for this mission, at this 
moment, than Mike Pompeo. I look forward to upholding the tradition of 
this body and voting to confirm him this week.
  The Senate will also vote later this afternoon to advance the 
nomination of Kyle Duncan of Louisiana to serve on the Fifth Circuit 
Court of Appeals. Mr. Duncan's legal credentials show that the 
President has made another outstanding choice.
  With degrees from LSU and Columbia under his belt, he built an 
impressive record in litigation, rising to serve as appellate chief in 
the Louisiana office of attorney general.
  His accomplishments also extend to private practice, where his work 
earned the respect of his colleagues and peers, including his opponents 
in court.
  A few weeks ago, a law professor and litigator who sparred with Kyle 
Duncan in a high-profile case wrote:

       Kyle Duncan is a magnificent nominee for the Fifth Circuit. 
     . . . His confirmation should be supported by all who value 
     judges committed to fairness and scrupulous application of 
     the law.

  A bipartisan group of current and former State solicitors general 
wrote to our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to praise his 
nomination. Here is what they said:

       As frequent advocates in the U.S. Courts of Appeals, we are 
     well-acquainted with the qualifications and characteristics 
     that make good judges, including intellect, integrity, legal 
     experience, and temperament, all of which Mr. Duncan 
     possesses in ample quantities.

  They went on to say:

       We came to know him as a highly skilled lawyer with an 
     easygoing demeanor, and as someone we could routinely turn to 
     for advice and interest on issues of mutual interest. Even 
     though we have worked for state Attorneys General of 
     different political stripes, we all agree that Kyle Duncan 
     has the personal and professional qualities that should 
     typify the federal judiciary.

  No wonder the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the

[[Page S2334]]

Federal Judiciary awarded Mr. Duncan its highest rating of ``well 
qualified.''
  I urge every one of our colleagues to take his credentials, 
experience, and bipartisan support into account. Let's vote to advance 
the Duncan nomination this afternoon.