[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5231]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, on another subject, it is extremely 
difficult to compare one Congress to another. Each Congress is unique--
changing times, shifting issues, and new administrations with which to 
work. But one manner of gauging the success of a Congress is simply to 
tally the number of Presidential nominees who have been confirmed. 
After all, offering its advice and consent on nominees is the Senate's 
constitutional duty.
  If we were to use confirmations as a measuring stick, by all accounts 
the majority leader and Senate Republicans are failing in a spectacular 
fashion. So far this year, the Senate has confirmed 21 nominees--4 
months, 21 nominees. It is unheard of to have such a small, small 
number. If that trend continues, the Republican-led Congress will 
confirm 63 nominees this year, 2015.
  By contrast, in 2007, my first year as majority leader under the Bush 
administration, the Senate confirmed 276 executive and judicial 
nominees. It did not matter that Democrats were working with a 
Republican administration. My disagreements with President George W. 
Bush have been well documented. That is an understatement.
  But I worked with him on nominations because Democrats knew--and I 
knew--that it was only fair to give the President the team he needed to 
lead the country. Doesn't President Obama deserve the same? Of course 
he does. In 2007, each Democratic committee chair worked to move 
President Bush's nominees through committees and the Senate floor in a 
reasonable amount of time.
  Yet we are seeing the opposite from Republican chairmen this year. 
They are refusing even to do hearings. Of course, if there are no 
hearings, there will be no nominations. In fact, Republicans have 
committed to holding up as many of the President's nominees as 
possible.
  Here is what one senior Republican Senator said in the last few days: 
``I told them: You jam [nominees] through, it's going to be a long time 
before I approve of them.''
  What I say to that is that if this is a tantrum that the Republicans 
are having for changing the Senate rules, as we were forced to do, then 
revenge is not an effective way to govern. If it really is the case 
that Republicans loathe the changes to the Senate rules, why do they 
not do something about it? We are 4 months into this Congress, and the 
majority leader had ample opportunity--which he has had--to undo the 
changes we made. So change them if you do not like them.
  It is clear the Republican plan for payback centers on allowing 
consideration of Presidential nominations to a trickle. Throwing a 
tantrum is not what the American people expect from their leaders. It 
is not fair to the President or the American people who elected him or 
the dedicated public servants who want to serve our country.
  Ten years ago a young Senator from Texas said: ``I would hope no one 
in this body would feel it necessary to bring all the leftover angst of 
the campaign season to bear against a bright and honorable nominee.'' 
Yet this is what the senior Senator from Texas and his party are doing 
today--doing exactly what he said should not be done.
  America continues to look on in disbelief as Republicans delay 
Loretta Lynch's confirmation because they can. This is outrageous. One 
only needs to look at the CNN poll today to find out that the work done 
by the Republican Senate has been an absolute flop. So I certainly hope 
this is not what we are to expect during the duration of President 
Obama's term. I hope my Republican colleagues will demonstrate 
leadership and move the President's nominees.
  Again, look at the CNN poll, I say to my Republican colleagues. It is 
a disaster for you. It is not only fair to move forward on President 
Obama's nominations, but it is a sworn duty Republicans have as Members 
of the Senate.

                          ____________________