[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 24, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2644-S2645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Dara Lindenbaum

  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, Dara Lindenbaum is the President's nominee 
to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission. We are scheduled to 
vote on that nomination today.
  On April 6, the Committee on Rules and Administration held a hearing 
to consider this nominee. She shared her

[[Page S2645]]

credentials for the job and her understanding of the agency's mission 
and the role of a commissioner.
  On May 3, she was favorably reported out of committee. I supported 
her nomination to be voted out of committee. The Federal Elections 
Commission plays a vital role for Campaign Finance Committees. As a 
former Secretary of State, I work with the FTC on a regular basis; and 
since that time, I have run in many Federal elections. I know how 
important a fully functioning FEC is to Federal candidates who need to 
avail themselves of the FEC's guidance and advisory opinions. I also 
know how important the stability of the agency is to the regulated 
community.
  While the commissioners to the Federal Election Commission are, by 
design, partisan, it is unlikely that every Senator will agree with the 
views of all nominees. Ms. Lindenbaum has expressed a willingness to 
work with the other commissioners and find consensus to do the 
important work of the agency. I am a Republican and Ms. Lindenbaum is a 
Democrat. This Commission only works with if there is an equal number 
of Republicans and Democrats.
  Sadly, with the three Republican nominees from the last 
administration, the vote on the floor was 49 to 43, 49 to 47, 50 to 46. 
These should not be partisan nominations. They are partisans nominated 
to a partisan job; and, frankly, we have to do a better job than 49 to 
43, or 49 to 47, or 50 to 46, which, again, was the vote on the floor 
of President Trump's Republican nominees who are currently serving.
  Ms. Lindenbaum enjoys the support of a bipartisan group of election 
law practitioners. Senator Klobuchar and I received a letter from 30 
practitioners on both sides of the aisle highlighting Ms. Lindenbaum's 
decade of relevant experience, especially her experience representing 
clients on matters of State and Federal campaign finance and election 
laws.
  I look forward to supporting her nomination today. I hope many of my 
colleagues will join me in supporting her. This a commission, one, that 
doesn't work without an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and 
it doesn't work if the commission doesn't have at least that equal 
number. Unless there are at least four commissioners, the Commission 
ceases to function. For too many months of the last dozen years, we had 
a Commission that wasn't fully functioning, couldn't make final 
decisions, couldn't issue opinions. I am looking forward to a six-
member Commission.
  I look forward to voting for Ms. Lindenbaum today when her nomination 
comes up early this afternoon.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lujan). The Senator from Colorado.