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 (Executive Session)” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S2286 on April 8, 2019.
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
Madam President, this week the Senate will continue its work to move well-qualified nominees off of the Executive Calendar and to give the American people the government they elected. We will do it more sensibly and efficiently thanks to last week's action to restore order to the nominations process.
As we discussed extensively last week, the past 2 years have offered a record-setting display of how comprehensively a Senate minority could prevent a President from putting his team in place, extending even to thoroughly uncontroversial nominations.
Fortunately, last week we took a big step toward restoring the sort of productive nominations process that had once been the Senate's routine. Now it is time to move forward together. This week the Senate will be able to consider a number of the President's capable nominees to positions in the executive branch and on the Federal bench.
We will begin with Daniel Domenico, named to serve as U.S. district judge for the District of Colorado. Mr. Domenico is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Virginia School of Law. His well-rounded legal career includes a clerkship on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, a term as solicitor general of Colorado, as well as work in private practice. I would encourage each of my colleagues to join me in supporting Mr. Domenico's nomination.
We will follow with the consideration of Patrick Wyrick, nominated to the Western District of Oklahoma; then, Cheryl Stanton, to be Administrator of the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division; then, General John Abizaid, to be Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; and then, Holly Brady and David Morales, to serve as district judges in Indiana and Texas, respectively.
These are six more well-qualified nominees who, among them, have passed a combined 2,364 days since the Senate received their nominations. Let me say that again. These six well-qualified nominees, among them, have passed a combined 2,364 days since the Senate received their nominations. But, most importantly, they are six of the many nominees who will receive now more prompt consideration here on the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
