The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“NOMINATIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S1994 on April 9, 2018.
The Department provides billions in unemployment insurance, which peaked around 2011 though spending had declined before the pandemic. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, claimed the Department funds "ineffective and duplicative services" and overregulates the workplace.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NOMINATIONS
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another matter, this week the Senate will turn to one of its most important constitutional responsibilities, the personnel business. We have a number of nominees to consider in the next several days.
First is Claria Horn Boom, President Trump's pick to serve as a Federal district judge for both the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. Through her work in both the public and private sectors, Ms. Boom has distinguished herself as a problem-solver, a trusted adviser to clients and her community.
Letters in support of her nomination share a theme: She has the skills and experiences to excel as a district judge. ``High standards, ample preparation, and a fears intellect''; ``unfailingly thoughtful, gracious, and diligent''--these are just some of the ways Ms. Boom is described by those she served and worked with in Kentucky. The Judiciary Committee came to the same conclusion, advancing her nomination on a voice vote.
Later today the full Senate will vote to advance this talented and noncontroversial nominee, and then I hope we will be able to quickly confirm her.
Then, in the coming days, we will consider several more judges and important nominees for the Department of Labor, the EPA, and the National Labor Relations Board. These and many other positions remain vacant nearly a year and a half into the Trump administration.
Qualified nominees stand ready, but Senate Democrats are using the procedural playbook to obstruct and delay. In many cases, for example, they are insisting that the Senate exhaust postcloture time even on unobjectionable district court nominees who have gone on to overwhelming confirmation--for examples, Walter Counts, who was confirmed 96 to 0, or Karen Gren Scholer, who was confirmed 95 to 0.
I will have more to say on these partisan tactics in the coming days. For now, let me make one thing clear. The Senate's workweek will not end--will not end--until all of these amply qualified nominees are confirmed.
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