[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18306-18307]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

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             UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS--EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to 
executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 
44, 144, 189, 303, 334, 356, 358, 359, 361, 362, 367, 371, 372, 378, 
379, 380, 387, 388, 390, 391, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 412, 
413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 420, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 
429, 430, 431, 432, 433, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 446, 
447, 448, 449, 450, 451, and 452; that the nominations be confirmed en 
bloc; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid on the 
table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be 
in order to any of the nominations; that any related statements be 
printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of 
the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Reserving my right, and I will make my remarks on this 
matter after the majority leader has completed his business today, I 
would note that on the last day we were here, November 21, there were

[[Page 18307]]

only 16 nominations on the Executive Calendar that had been there more 
than 3 weeks, only 8 more than 9 weeks, and the Republicans were ready 
to confirm more than 40 who had been there only a few weeks. The 
Democratic majority changed the rules of the Senate in a way that 
creates a Senate without rules. Until I understand better how a Senator 
is supposed to operate in a Senate without rules, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I am not going to respond in any detail to 
my friend, and he is my friend. There is no way of explaining how the 
Republicans could arbitrarily refuse to nominate four of the most 
qualified people, frankly, because they turned down one woman twice for 
the D.C. Circuit. This is, some say, a court more important than the 
U.S. Supreme Court. The Republicans, without any question about their 
integrity, their education, their experience, said no. Why? Because 
they don't want President Obama to have these people in this important 
court. They want to keep the court with the majority of Republicans. 
That is wrong. It is wrong, and there were many reasons we did what we 
did, but it was the right thing for the country and it is the right 
thing for democracy.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consider the 
following nominations: Calendar Nos. 330, 347, 348, 349, 350, 382, 383, 
384, 385, 386, 434, 435, 436, and 437; that the nominations be 
confirmed; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 
the table, with no intervening action or debate; that no further 
motions be in order to any of the nominations; that any statements 
related to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President 
be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then 
resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Reserving my right to object, again I will make my 
comments after the majority leader has completed his business, but all 
Senate Republicans wanted with the D.C. Circuit judges was to do what 
Democratic Senators insisted on doing in 2006, transferring judges from 
a court where they are not needed to courts where they are needed.
  I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. That explanation is as flat as a bottle of beer that has 
been open for 6 months.

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