[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18090]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

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                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations 
placed on the Secretary's desk in the Foreign Service: PN643, PN800, 
and PN877; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; 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 the President be immediately notified of 
the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations considered and confirmed en bloc are as follows:

               Nominations Placed on the Secretary's Desk


                            FOREIGN SERVICE

       PN643 FOREIGN SERVICE nominations (101) beginning Jennifer 
     Ann Amos, and ending Holly Rothe Wielkoszewski, which 
     nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the 
     Congressional Record of July 8, 2015.
       PN800 FOREIGN SERVICE nominations (127) beginning Kreshnik 
     Alikaj, and ending Brett David Ziskie, which nominations were 
     received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record of September 8, 2015.
       PN877-1 FOREIGN SERVICE nominations (404) beginning Jason 
     Douglas Kalbfleisch, and ending Stuart MacKenzie Hatcher, 
     which nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in 
     the Congressional Record of September 21, 2015.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate passed several 
lists for more than 600 career promotions in the Foreign Service. I 
spoke earlier this week about these promotions, and I am pleased that 
Senator Grassley has allowed these lists to pass this evening.
  Regardless of which party controlled the Senate, Foreign Service 
promotion lists have moved without political interference. That is 
until recently. In August, Senator Grassley decided to block the 
promotions of more than 20 career officials in order to pursue the same 
agenda we saw the Republicans go after with the Benghazi committee.
  I have spoken with Senator Grassley about this issue. Holding back 
the promotions of career Foreign Service officers is not the way the 
Senate should be operating. The 20 officials that are still being 
blocked include officers stationed in Cambodia, Kenya, Rwanda, 
Ethiopia, and other nations.
  Although I am pleased about the Senate passing more than 600 
promotions this evening, the senior Senator from Iowa should drop his 
holds on career diplomats and give these 20 officials the promotions 
they have earned.

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