[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5151-S5152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the Senate has a lot of important 
business to attend to before we adjourn for the August State work 
period.
  As a reminder to all of our colleagues, here is our considerable to-
do list for this week: Later this morning, we will vote to confirm two 
more of President Trump's impressive nominees for district courts: 
Michael Liburdi for the District of Arizona and Peter Welte for the 
District of North Dakota.
  They are just the first two in a significant group of judges--19 in 
all--that the Senate needs to process before we wrap up the week. We 
can't head home without making another big dent in the backlog of 
qualified district judge nominees whom partisan obstruction has already 
kept waiting entirely too long.
  In addition, the Senate is not going anywhere until we confirm two 
impressive nominees to executive branch positions that play a vital 
role in U.S. foreign policy and national security. Ambassador Kelly 
Craft is President Trump's excellent choice to serve as our Ambassador 
to the United Nations. David Norquist is his pick for Deputy Secretary 
of Defense.
  Needless to say, these are troubling times in a troubled world. We 
need to get both of these highly capable public servants on the job 
this week.
  Finally, we must also pass the bipartisan government funding 
agreement that President Trump's negotiating team worked out with 
Speaker Pelosi. Given the realities of divided government, it is a 
strong deal that achieves my Republican colleagues' and my No. 1 
priority: continuing to invest seriously in rebuilding the readiness of 
our Armed Forces and modernizing them to meet the challenges of today.
  The Trump administration has negotiated their way to a major win on 
defense. The House has passed the compromise legislation. The President 
is ready and waiting to sign it.
  Once the Senate passes it later this week, he can sign it into law, 
taking funding crises and long-term continuing resolutions off the 
table, and pave Congress's path toward a regular appropriations process 
that will provide the resources our military commanders and our 
servicemembers need to keep us safe.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join President Trump in support of 
this legislation when we vote on it later this week.

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