[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2360-S2361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Mike Pompeo

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, yesterday, after some drama and a rare 
act of civility on the part of Senator Coons, for which I applaud him, 
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination of Mike 
Pompeo as Secretary of State. This is despite Chairman Corker 
repeatedly pointing out how qualified for this appointment Director 
Pompeo actually is, but, apparently, it fell on deaf ears.
  This sort of treatment is unprecedented, in my memory certainly, for 
a Secretary of State. Director Pompeo was, in fact, first in his class 
at West Point and led the Harvard Law Review. He served his country in 
the military and served the people of Kansas in Congress, not to 
mention the fact that Mike Pompeo already serves in one of the most 
sensitive and important positions in the Trump administration as 
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
  I spoke yesterday about the confirmations of some of the most recent 
Secretaries of State, not just Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. Secretary 
Kerry got all but three votes in the Senate, and Secretary Clinton lost 
only two votes in the Senate, but I also spoke of Secretary Powell and 
Secretary Rice. All were confirmed overwhelmingly because the Senate 
has always had a tradition, until now, of showing some deference to the 
President when confirming nominees to positions like this that have 
national security importance. The world needs to know that this 
President has confidence in this nominee, and he does. That is the key 
to his effectiveness in international diplomacy--knowing he has the 
President's ear.
  Our Democratic friends once upon a time acknowledged that, in the 
words of the senior Senator from Delaware:

       The President, regardless of what party they are from, 
     needs, for the most part, to have the team they want to put 
     in place. They have been elected to lead. Let's give them a 
     chance to lead.

  The opposition we are seeing breaks with this longstanding tradition 
in a shameful and partisan way. Of course, our Democratic colleagues 
have been slow-walking and obstructing qualified nominees since the 
President was sworn in, just to hinder progress for hindering 
progress's sake alone. This is the kind of hyperpartisan approach to 
foreign policy that threatens to harm our national security because 
this is an important national security post. Not only should we confirm 
Mr. Pompeo so the President can have the support of his full Cabinet, 
but also so the American people can have the assurance that our 
national security is not being treated like a pinata that our 
Democratic colleagues are whacking with a stick.

[[Page S2361]]

  The American people can see through this kind of concerted effort to 
prevent the President from filling Cabinet roles that deserve to be 
filled. In fact, that seems to be the approach: wherever, whenever, 
however to block President Trump from accomplishing anything he seeks 
on behalf of the American people, even though he was elected President 
of the United States.
  Several editorial boards have already pointed out the importance of 
filling this position and have urged our Democratic colleagues to allow 
Director Pompeo to be confirmed expeditiously. USA Today editorial 
writers penned a piece saying:

       Unless a nominee has clear ethical or competency failings, 
     presidents should be accorded wide latitude to select top 
     aides whom they trust and agree with. Pompeo passes that test 
     and merits approval.

  The Washington Post writes: ``Mr. Pompeo should be deployed to Foggy 
Bottom in the hope that he will fulfill his promise to revive and 
reassert U.S. diplomacy.''
  The Chicago Tribune writes: ``Pompeo knows well how to work with both 
Congress and the president--who trusts him so much he sent him on a 
secret mission to Pyongyang to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong 
Un'' in advance of the President's meeting with him in a few weeks.
  It doesn't stop there. There are nearly a dozen editorial boards that 
say the same thing these newspapers have--that Mr. Pompeo is 
undoubtedly qualified and the President trusts him, and on these two 
points, the Senate should confirm him.
  The flip-flop our Democratic colleagues are doing from last year, 
when 15 of them supported Mr. Pompeo's nomination to the CIA, should be 
a source of embarrassment. To say that somehow the job of the Secretary 
of State is more important or more sensitive than that of the CIA 
Director--both of them are extraordinarily important. If they had the 
confidence in him to vote to confirm him to the CIA and are now 
searching for reasons to support a ``no'' vote for Secretary of State, 
it is pretty clear what is happening. Some of the most radical 
activists in the Democratic base are clearly getting to some of these 
Senators.
  There is still time to put country above politics, national security 
over the next election, and principle over posturing. I urge all of our 
colleagues to give this nominee the same treatment the Senate gave 
Secretaries Powell, Rice, Kerry, and Clinton, and confirm Mr. Pompeo as 
our next Secretary of State.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.