[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, last night I filed cloture on additional 
Defense nominees, including Celeste Wallander, nominated to serve as 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. If 
this were any other time, Ms. Wallander's nomination most certainly 
would have sailed through the Senate with unanimous consent, without 
the need for a rollcall vote.
  At the committee level, her nomination was approved with strong 
support from both parties; and, frankly, she should have been approved 
unanimously the moment she was reported out of the Armed Services 
Committee. Many on both sides of the aisle recognize we need her at the 
Pentagon now. As one of our Nation's top experts on Russian affairs, 
her leadership is vital right now.
  Sadly--sadly--one Republican, just one, has objected to Ms. 
Wallander's confirmation without offering any concrete justification. 
So we are going to take up floor time to advance her nomination the 
long way, just as we have done for many nominees who face unprecedented 
obstruction by a small group of Republicans. This is not the majority 
of the Republican Party or the majority of Republican Senators, but a 
small group using the Senate rules--many of which are arcane and 
outdated--to stand in the way and slow the whole process down, 
endangering our security.
  Let's be clear. To intentionally delay the confirmation of a critical 
Pentagon position--an expert on Russia at a time when we need her in 
the position most--just to score political points is the definition of 
cynical and is actively making the American people less safe.
  Sadly, Ms. Wallander is far from the only nominee being held up by 
these obstructionists on the right. The junior Senator from Arkansas 
has also placed blanket holds on a number of U.S. attorneys and U.S. 
marshals, men and women whose job is literally to protect the public 
and prosecute criminals.
  If my Republican colleagues are so concerned about public safety, why 
are they standing in the way of confirming some of the most important 
law enforcement officers in the Federal Government? It is ``Alice in 
Wonderland'' logic. It is delay for delay's sake, especially when new 
reasons keep coming up to justify these tactics. One reason is 
rebutted, and then another one comes up. It seems like some of these 
colleagues just want to obstruct to obstruct, oppose to oppose--bad for 
America, bad for Democrats, bad for Republicans.
  Hijacking the rules of the Senate to place blanket holds on nominees 
has no legitimate justification. And when it comes to nominees tasked 
with advancing our national defense, our diplomacy, and our public 
safety, it only makes the American people less safe.
  As long as these delay tactics continue, we will continue to hold 
votes on these nominees as necessary. If that means more late nights 
with a large number of votes in one sitting like we had to do over the 
last 2 weeks, then that is what we will do.

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