[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 10, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1433-S1434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, the Senate has a packed schedule. 
By the end of the day, the Senate will have confirmed another three 
members of President Biden's Cabinet.
  First up is Representative Marcia Fudge to serve as the 18th 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. What an excellent choice 
for the job. She represented the people of Ohio in Congress since 2008 
and, before that, served as the first African American and first female 
mayor of Warrensville Heights in Ohio.
  She has a difficult job ahead of her. Millions of Americans are 
behind on the rent and 3 million homeowners are in forbearance. At the 
same time, we are on the verge of passing major assistance for renters 
and for homeowners. As the incoming Secretary, I know Representative 
Fudge will implement that assistance with alacrity. And, of course, I 
will be focusing, among other issues in housing, on public housing, 
which I know she cares about a great deal as well.
  Later this afternoon, we will move to the confirmation of Merrick 
Garland to become Attorney General. After Donald Trump spent 4 years, 4 
long years, subverting the powers of the Justice Department for his own 
political benefit, treating the Attorney General like his own personal 
defense lawyer, America can breathe a sigh of relief that we are 
finally going to have someone like Merrick Garland leading the Justice 
Department, someone with integrity, independence, respect for the rule 
of law, and credibility on both sides of the aisle. He understands that 
the job of Attorney General is one to protect the rule of law, unlike 
the previous Attorneys General under President Trump who, too often, 
just bowed to his whim and his will when it was against rule of law.
  It is confounding, in light of all of that, that Republicans have 
chosen--some of them anyway--to delay his nomination, particularly in 
the aftermath of the Capitol attacks, but he will be confirmed today, 
despite their attempts to stonewall the process.
  Finally, Mr. President, the Senate will confirm Michael Regan to 
serve as EPA Administrator. Once again, the change between the previous 
administration and the incoming Administrator will be dramatic. Under 
Donald Trump, the EPA weakened environmental protections, fudged the 
science, and completely ignored climate change to potentially, 
unfortunately, disastrous effect.

  It is high time the Senate confirmed someone like Michael Regan, who 
has made environmental protection the cause of his career, to lead the 
Agency and set it back on its proper footing.
  Once we finish with the confirmations of these three nominees, the 
Senate will have confirmed 16 Cabinet-level officials. That is in 
addition to passing a massive COVID bill and conducting an impeachment 
trial of the former President--despite getting a late start to our work 
thanks to a delay in the organizing resolution. The Senate is going to 
keep up the pace.

[[Page S1434]]

President Biden deserves to have his team in place, working for the 
American people.

                          ____________________