[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 155 (Tuesday, September 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HURRICANE FLORENCE

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, many in the Carolinas and other communities 
in our eastern States are dealing with wind, flooding, and storm surge 
damage caused by Hurricane Florence. In the lead-up to this hurricane 
and in the ongoing response to it, Federal agencies have played and 
continue to perform critical roles in forecasting, public safety, 
rescue, and recovery.
  One of the key agencies involved in this effort is the Commerce 
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. 
NOAA houses the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane 
Center, which is responsible for issuing watches, warnings, and 
forecasts of these hazardous weather events.
  Despite its responsibility for critical functions, NOAA has been 
without a Senate-confirmed Administrator for nearly 2 years due to 
obstruction by Senate Democrats. Barry Myers, the President's nominee 
to lead NOAA, was first approved by the Commerce Committee, of which I 
have the privilege of chairing, in December of 2017. Ten months later, 
his nomination sits stalled on the Senate floor, and he is far from 
alone.
  During and after disasters like a hurricane, Americans use products 
such as portable generators, ladders, and power tools in greater 
quantity and frequency than during other times. The Consumer Product 
Safety Commission has a critical public safety mission to ensure that 
such products sold on store shelves or over the internet are safe. When 
there are safety issues, the Commission is charged with taking action. 
But nominations for this critical agency have also been blocked in the 
Senate. The same is true for the country's leading highway safety 
regulator. For months, Democrats have blocked the nomination of Heidi 
King to be the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration. While she has shepherded the agency in an acting 
capacity, she has been denied the full weight and authority of a 
Senate-confirmed leader. So have other Commerce Committee-approved 
nominations for the Departments of Transportation and Commerce, Amtrak, 
and the Surface Transportation Board. All of these agencies play 
critical roles in promoting public safety. What is most frustrating is 
that this all feels like deja vu.
  We have already seen this disturbing pattern play out with other 
safety nominees earlier in this Congress. The nomination of Ronald 
Batory to lead the Federal Railroad Administration had been stalled in 
the Senate for more than 6 months over demands by Senate Democrats 
concerning a parochial infrastructure project. Only after three deadly 
passenger rail accidents did Democrats finally relent and allow this 
critical railway safety official to assume his full agency leadership 
duties.
  In another instance, Senate Democrats blocked nominees for the 
National Transportation Safety Board. This opposition only subsided 
following a deadly Missouri duck boat tragedy that claimed 17 lives. 
Once the Board was sent out to investigate and attention moved toward 
the blocked vacancies, Democrats finally relented to their 
confirmation.
  Maybe Hurricane Florence will have a similar effect on some of these 
other blocked nominees, but it shouldn't take a tragic national 
disaster for Democrats to stop making unrelated demands that obstruct 
nominees from working in critical posts.
  I urge my colleagues to stop this dangerous obstruction and instead 
give qualified nominees approved in committee the chance to lead their 
agencies so that we are all well prepared for the next natural 
disaster, safety recall, or serious accident.

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