[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 37 (Thursday, February 28, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1555-S1556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Nominations

  Madam President, on another matter, this week, the Senate has made 
progress in confirming President Trump's nominees. On Tuesday, Eric 
Miller became the 31st circuit court judge to be confirmed under this 
administration. Yesterday, we confirmed Michael Desmond to serve as 
Chief Counsel at the IRS.
  Of course, this progress is only remarkable given the Senate 
Democrats'

[[Page S1556]]

historic level of obstruction. As I noted yesterday, for example, Mr. 
Desmond's nomination earned near-unanimous approval from the Finance 
Committee in August of last year but only this week received a vote on 
the Senate floor. So many important roles are still vacant with well-
qualified nominees who are ready and willing to fill them.
  Later today, we will vote on Andrew Wheeler to serve as Administrator 
of the EPA. Mr. Wheeler has spent the last year as Deputy and now as 
Acting Administrator. He has wasted no time in proving he has what it 
takes to lead the Agency. In drawing on a wealth of experience that 
includes service as staff director of the Senate Environment and Public 
Works Committee and a tenure at the EPA that first began back in 1991, 
Mr. Wheeler has proven his ability to advance pragmatic solutions to 
pressing environmental challenges. I hope each of my colleagues will 
join me in supporting yet another well-qualified nominee and vote to 
confirm him.
  Later today, we will also have an opportunity to take care of one 
other long-overdue item--the nomination of John Ryder to the Board of 
the Tennessee Valley Authority. Even after being reported out of 
committee twice on a voice vote, this well-qualified, uncontroversial 
nominee was nearly subjected to a needless cloture vote this week. I am 
glad that, instead, we will be voting to confirm Ryder and sending him 
on to work on behalf of the Tennessee Valley communities.