[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5207-S5208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday the Senate took a number of 
steps forward on our considerable to-do list for the week. We confirmed 
four well-qualified jurists who are now our country's newest district 
court judges and voted to advance the nominations of 10 more--10. That 
is what you call big progress for the Federal Judiciary. Today, we are 
going to continue moving these nominations forward.
  For too long, thoroughly uncontroversial judicial nominees just like 
these have been held up and delayed by our Democratic colleagues, even 
when the vacancy qualifies as a judicial emergency.
  Uncontroversial district judges used to be confirmed promptly in big 
groups by voice vote. These days, in a kind of protest theater, our 
colleagues across the aisle usually insist that we hold a cloture vote 
and then a rollcall confirmation vote on each one. But we are getting 
the President's impressive nominees on the job one way or another, and 
we will continue doing just that.
  Our work doesn't stop there. The administration remains in need of a 
full complement of leaders at the Pentagon and in the diplomatic corps. 
Last night, we voted to confirm David Norquist, the President's pick to 
serve as No. 2 at the Pentagon under our new

[[Page S5208]]

Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper. We also voted to advance the 
nomination of Ambassador Kelly Craft, a very impressive individual, to 
serve in the critical role of U.N. Ambassador.
  Ms. Craft is a fellow product of the Bluegrass State. She has already 
made Kentucky and the Nation proud through significant public service, 
including as an alternate delegate to the United Nations and, most 
recently, as Ambassador to Canada.
  In each of these cases, this impressive nominee earned an unopposed 
confirmation, and, in each case, she repaid the Senate's confidence by 
skillfully and effectively advocating for the interests of the United 
States on the international stage. During her tenure as Ambassador to 
Canada, America's relationship with our northern neighbor was tested. A 
number of challenging policy hurdles threatened to trip up progress on 
several important issues, including trade negotiations, but, by all 
accounts, Ambassador Craft's involvement led to greater cooperation.
  She worked on finalizing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, encouraged 
cross-border participation in joint sanctions efforts, and helped more 
Americans do business in Canada. As she stands in this new role, she 
brings the ringing endorsements of peers and counterparts she engaged 
all along the way.
  The Premier of Ontario and a former Canadian Ambassador to the United 
States has said: ``She's done the job very well.''
  And another quote: ``Every Premier I know thinks the world of her. . 
. . She really proved herself over some tough times.''
  Our partners to the north have a healthy respect for the hard work 
and qualifications of Ambassador Kelly Craft, and so does the Senate. 
Last week, even in this contentious moment, a wide bipartisan majority 
of our colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee voted to recommend 
her nomination to be U.N. Ambassador favorably here to the floor, and 
before we adjourn this week, we will confirm her.

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