[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3357-S3358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in a few minutes, I am going to put forward 
a request for the Senate to confirm the nomination of Rebecca Jones 
Gaston to serve as Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families within 
the Department of Health and Human Services. I briefly want to talk 
about why her confirmation is so important and what makes her the right 
person for the job.
  The Administration on Children, Youth, and Families may not grab 
national headlines every day, but its work is essential to the well-
being of millions of young people and families across the land. That is 
particularly true for vulnerable children, including those in the child 
welfare system.
  One of its big jobs over the last few years has been the 
implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act. The 
landmark reform of the child welfare system was written by the Finance 
Committee on a bipartisan basis. And for colleagues who remember the 
late Orrin Hatch, who cared so much about children and particularly 
welfare reform, this and the extension of the Children's Health 
Insurance Program for 10 years--the longest extension ever--were the 
two bills for children that Chairman Hatch really felt strongly about.
  The underlying goal of the legislation, which I was proud to 
cosponsor with him, was simple. The foster care system was breaking 
families up too often. We designed the Family First Act to keep 
families together whenever it was safe and possible to do so. Maybe a 
grandparent is the right person to step in as a caretaker for their 
grandkids. I have been particularly involved in having grandparents 
play a bigger role in our human services programs. It is known as 
kinship care. We have been working on it for well over a decade. 
Chairman Hatch helped us expand it. Maybe all that is needed for a

[[Page S3358]]

family to thrive is to help with mental healthcare for mom or dad. And 
with a little more flexibility in the program, a little more support, 
more families stay together and get ahead.
  The underlying goal that Chairman Hatch and I had was simple, but 
implementation has certainly been a challenge. It has required a lot of 
close collaboration between the Department of Health and Human 
Services, the Finance Committee, and State and local agencies.
  My view is, when you are talking about reforms dealing with the well-
being of our youngest, particularly most vulnerable kids, it is just 
critical to get it right. That is why Rebecca Jones Gaston is the right 
person to lead the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. She 
serves as the child welfare director for Oregon's Department of Human 
Services. She is showing herself to be an effective leader and a strong 
advocate for the vulnerable. She served in a similar role in the State 
of Maryland under a Republican Governor. So this is somebody who shows 
up every single day, willing to work with elected officials on both 
sides of the aisle. All in all, she brings nearly 25 years of 
experience in public policy dealing with support for families and 
children.
  The Finance Committee approved her nomination on a bipartisan basis 
in March. My view is, the full Senate has waited long enough. Ms. 
Gaston is a highly qualified nominee, and the Administration on 
Children, Youth, and Families needs a confirmed leader.
  Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the 
following nomination: Calendar No. 763, Rebecca E. Jones Gaston to be 
Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families, Department of Health and 
Human Services; that the Senate vote on the nomination without 
intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table; and that any statements 
related to the nomination be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. HAGERTY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, since last 
year, I have been asking for a commitment from my Democrat colleagues 
that any future reconciliation legislation in this Congress will not 
incorporate policies that will reduce access to care in nonexpansion 
States such as Tennessee. Specifically, my concern is that this 
reconciliation legislation that the House of Representatives passed 
last fall included provisions that cut DSH and uncompensated care pool 
payments for nonexpansion States. This would result in less healthcare 
for vulnerable populations in my State, accelerate hospital closures in 
my State, and it would disadvantage rural communities in my State of 
Tennessee. These are places and populations for which we are trying to 
secure more quality healthcare, not less.
  Because I have not received confirmation that these provisions will 
not be included in any future reconciliation bill, I cannot consent to 
expediting confirmation of this nominee, and I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, just speaking briefly again, let me tell my 
colleague from Tennessee that I have very much enjoyed working with him 
on various policies here in the Senate.
  My understanding is that my colleague believes that his State has 
some ideas for showing that you can essentially meet Medicaid standards 
for health services for vulnerable people and that the State of 
Tennessee is interested in trying out some new approaches. I want to 
assure my colleague that we are interested in hearing more about this. 
There is a specific waiver provision, for example, in the Affordable 
Care Act to try out new approaches consistent with these guardrails so 
that people actually get healthcare coverage. My colleague has said to 
me that he is interested in pursuing those kinds of ideas. I want him 
to know that the Finance Democratic staff is available to hear his 
staff out on this, and I hope we can work it out, and I hope we can 
move Rebecca Gaston quickly.
  This is a program that really makes a difference. Prior to Chairman 
Hatch working with me on this, we had essentially two alternatives for 
these vulnerable kids, neither of them particularly valuable. One was 
just sending the kids off to foster care--some of those facilities are 
good; some of them, not so good--or keeping them at home in a less than 
desirable situation. What we did on a bipartisan basis is find a third 
path for these vulnerable youngsters, where, for example, if a parent 
was having difficulty with alcohol or drugs, they could get treatment 
and stay as the parent.
  So this is an important program. Rebecca Gaston knows how to run it 
well. I want to see her confirmed as quickly as possible, and I want to 
tell my colleague I recognize his concern today and will be interested 
in following up with him and his staff to hear more about the program 
in the days ahead.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.