[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Nomination of Abigail Slater

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, soon, we will vote on the nomination of 
Gail Slater to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust 
Division. I support her nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Antitrust is as important to me as it is to most Senators. I have 
long been concerned about market concentration and anticompetitive 
practices in industries that impact Iowans whether it is agriculture or 
healthcare or technology. These issues don't get the most attention 
around the U.S. Senate, but they still impact millions of Americans. 
Family farmers and independent producers deserve fair prices for their 
products. Seniors deserve affordable prescription drugs. Children 
deserve to be safe from predatory behavior on dominant tech platforms. 
All of these are antitrust issues.
  Attorney General Bondi told me during her confirmation process that 
she shares my interest in these issues and that she would work with me 
and the Antitrust Division to address these issues. There is no better 
person to help her in this project than Gail Slater. Ms. Slater has the 
right qualifications for this job.
  She spent several years practicing antitrust law in private practice 
before spending a decade at the Federal Trade Commission, handling 
antitrust investigations and litigation. In these roles, she learned 
the nuts and bolts of antitrust enforcement.
  Ms. Slater also understands antitrust and economics from a policy 
perspective. She served in President Trump's first administration on 
the National Economic Council, and she served now-Vice President Vance 
as his economic policy adviser and as a member of his Senate staff. So 
Ms. Slater has numerous accomplishments in the antitrust space.
  I am not the only one who thinks Ms. Slater is the right person for 
the job. She has received letters of support from nine previous heads 
of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. These men and women 
were appointed by Presidents of both political parties.
  They wrote:

       Ms. Slater has the experience, intelligence, judgment, and 
     leadership skills necessary to serve as an excellent 
     Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division.

  Another bipartisan coalition letter commands her ``unique ability to 
collaborate on a bipartisan basis with stakeholders across the 
political spectrum, building coalitions toward common goals.''
  And it might surprise you that the International Brotherhood of 
Teamsters announced that they support her nomination.
  In a rare sign of unity on the Judiciary Committee I share, where we 
don't get a lot of unity, Ms. Slater was advanced out of committee by 
20 yes votes to 2 negative votes. I hope for a similarly strong 
bipartisan vote here on the floor.
  The Antitrust Division will flourish under Ms. Slater's strong 
leadership, and I am proud to support her. She is ready to serve our 
country, and we need to get her confirmed quickly.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.