“Can a single Democrat in this chamber – without mentioning President Trump’s name – tell me why the legal advisor for advocacy for the Small Business Administration is somehow controversial?”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor about Democrats’ unprecedented obstruction of President Donald J. Trump’s nominees.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.

Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:

“I rise to shine a spotlight on Democrats’ unprecedented obstruction of the Senate nomination process. Today – like every other day this Congress – Senate Republicans will be forced to burn hours of Floor time on votes that – for every other President of the United States – would have taken seconds. Until now.

“President Trump is the only President in modern history not to have a single nominee confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. Not a single one. Even the most routine nominees are being filibustered. Positions that used to fly through by voice vote or unanimous consent are now treated and taken as political hostages. This isn’t normal. This is petty partisan politics at its worst.

“Let me tell you the facts Senate Democrats don’t want the American people to hear. 98 percent of President George H.W. Bush’s nominees were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. 98 percent of President Bill Clinton’s nominees were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. 90 percent of President George W. Bush’s nominees were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. 90 percent of President Barrack Obama’s nominees were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. Then, President Trump took office. And Democrat obstruction began. The numbers dropped from 90 percent under Obama to 65 percent in President Trump’s first term. Today, it has fallen to zero. Zero.

“Even Joe Biden – a president Republicans strongly opposed – had 57 percent of his nominees confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. Republicans did not sabotage every Biden ambassador and every Biden undersecretary simply out of spite. Over half were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. Today, Democrats are obstructing simply for the sake of obstruction. Senate Democrats continue to stonewall the Senate nomination process and slow walk every one of President Trump’s nominees.

“I have a copy of today’s nominees on the Executive Calendar. Totally routine. Nominees for positions that sailed through the Senate for every other president. And yet, Senate Democrats demanded cloture votes for every single one. Can a single Democrat in this chamber – without mentioning President Trump’s name – tell me why the legal advisor for advocacy for the Small Business Administration is somehow controversial?

“Last night, when we were doing cloture votes, one of the Republican Senators, after a Democrat voted no, asked that Democrat Senator, ‘Who did we vote on?’ The Democrat Senator said, ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Well, what’s wrong with him?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Well, what’s the position.’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Well, you just voted no on him. Why was that?’ ‘Oh, he was nominated by President Trump.’ That was the only reason that nominee got a negative vote by the Democrat. That’s what is happening. That’s why we’re sitting here. And that’s what Democrats continue to do.

“Why should this nominee be held up and filibustered? The Democrats can’t tell you why. They have no idea why other than it was the nomination by President Trump. This isn’t about qualifications. It’s just about resisting President Trump.

“Automatic Democrat obstruction does not make our communities safer. It does not make our country stronger. It does not make families and small businesses more prosperous. It just waste time and weakens America.

“Despite Democrats’ wall of obstruction, Senate Republicans continue to press forward. We’ve confirmed 120 nominees since President Trump’s second term began. We’re doing it one day, one vote, one nominee at a time. The good news is, we’ve confirmed twice as many nominees in President Trump’s second term compared to his first term.

“Let me be clear: Republicans are not backing down. We will continue to confirm President Trump’s nominees. The easy way if we can. The hard way if we must.

“The American people elected President Trump and Senate Republicans to get America back on track. They expect the President to have his team in place. That is what Senate Republicans will continue to do.”

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