[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 82 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday the Senate voted to confirm 
Kenneth Lee of California to serve as a U.S. circuit court judge for 
the Ninth Circuit. Yet another well-qualified nominee will now bring 
impressive legal experience and fine academic credentials to the job of 
upholding the rule of law as a Federal judge.
  Mr. Lee is far from the only nominee to an important position whom 
the Senate confirmed this week.
  On Tuesday we confirmed Michael Truncale of Texas to the Federal 
bench in the Eastern District of Texas, and today we will consider 
three more of the President's abundantly qualified picks to fill 
vacancies in the executive branch and in the judiciary.
  First, we will vote on Wendy Vitter of Louisiana, who has been 
nominated to be a U.S. district court judge for the Eastern District of 
Louisiana. Ms. Vitter's impressive legal career includes experience in 
private practice and a decade in the Orleans Parish District Attorney's 
Office, where she handled more than 100 felony jury trials. Ms. Vitter 
has been favorably reported twice by our colleagues on the Judiciary 
Committee. I would urge every one of our colleagues to vote to confirm 
her today.
  Following the Vitter nomination, we will turn to Brian Bulatao, 
nominated to serve as Under Secretary of State for Management. As I 
have mentioned, the job description is essentially that of chief 
operating officer at the State Department, ensuring that tens of 
thousands of diplomats, civil servants, and staff are provided for and 
a host of important missions around the world can actually be carried 
out.
  Fortunately, we have a strong nominee who is up to the task. Mr. 
Bulatao is a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School. After 
service in the Army, he founded a business and worked in financial 
management before entering public service as chief operating officer at 
the CIA.
  In Chairman Risch's assessment, he is ``eminently qualified.'' Our 
colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee certainly agree, having 
favorably reported his nomination with no opposition.
  It has been 11 long months since the Senate first received his 
nomination--11 months. I am glad that today we will finally be able to 
put partisan delay behind us and get the nominee confirmed.
  Finally, the Senate will vote today on the nomination of Jeffrey 
Rosen to serve as Deputy Attorney General. As I have discussed earlier 
in the week, the President has chosen a nominee with a rock-solid legal 
reputation who served with distinction as the Deputy Secretary of 
Transportation and who would be a clear asset to the Department of 
Justice and to the Nation in this new capacity.
  So I would urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm each of 
these three well-qualified nominees for Federal service.

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