[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S181-S182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, over the past week, the Senate has been 
confirming President Biden's Cabinet nominees with significant 
cooperation between both parties. Today, however, the Republican 
minority has forced the Senate to jump through a series of procedural 
hoops that will further delay the confirmation of one of our country's 
chief national security officials, the Secretary of Homeland Security.
  It has now been 8 days since President Biden was sworn into office, 
and as a result of an objection from one Member--just one Member from 
the Republican minority--it will be another 4 days until we can 
complete the confirmation of Mr. Mayorkas to be our next Secretary of 
Homeland Security. What could have been the tidy work of a few hours on 
President Biden's first day will drag on for a week and a half. Make no 
mistake about it--he will be confirmed. This dilatory action will not 
succeed, but it will prevent the Senate from doing other important 
business.
  It has become a point of pride for the Republican leadership to say 
that they are treating President Biden's nominees more fairly than Mr. 
Trump's, but I remind my colleagues that former President Trump had his 
first DHS Secretary, Secretary Kelly, confirmed on his Inauguration 
Day.
  There is a reason that there has been bipartisan cooperation in the 
past to confirm the Homeland Security Secretary. Whatever our 
differences on policy, both parties have agreed that the prolonged 
delay of these nominations is no good--no good--for our national 
security.
  That is particularly the case right now. Our government recently 
suffered an unprecedented cyber attack. In the wake of January 6, the 
threat of violence and domestic terrorism remains a great concern. But 
because of the tactics of some Republican Members--particularly the 
junior Senator from Missouri--Mr. Mayorkas's nomination is being 
needlessly stalled.
  My friends on the other side don't have to agree with Mr. Mayorkas on 
the final points of every policy. I am sure they don't share the exact 
views of every appointment to a Democratic President's Cabinet. But 
that is not a sufficient reason to oppose a nomination, especially one 
as important as Homeland Security.
  You don't have to take my word for it; listen to Michael Chertoff, 
President Bush's former DHS Secretary. He said:

       If members of Congress want to contest elements of 
     [Biden's] proposal[s], they are free to do so. . . . But 
     hostage taking is not an appropriate way to do this, 
     particularly if a result of that is to put the lives of [the 
     American people] in jeopardy.

  Chertoff went on to say that actions to thwart Mayorkas's nomination 
were ``irresponsible and unconscionable.'' ``Irresponsible and 
unconscionable''--

[[Page S182]]

that is President Bush's former Secretary of Homeland Security, not a 
Democrat.
  Well, the Senate is not going to tolerate this irresponsible and 
unconscionable delay. Despite the tactics from the Republican side, the 
Senate will begin work on this crucial nomination today, and he will be 
confirmed.

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