March 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 43 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page S1749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Secret Holds

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is Sunshine Week, and I support 
transparency throughout government. The public's business ought to be 
public. That includes right here in the U.S. Senate.
  My newer colleagues might be unaware that the Senate has banned what 
are referred to as secret holds. Since January 2011, a standing order 
has been in effect, requiring that Senators make public any hold they 
place on bills or nominations.
  A Senator, of course, has a right to withhold consent when unanimous 
consent is needed to move to a measure. However, there is absolutely no 
right to do so in secret. The public's business ought to be done in 
public.
  That is why Senator Wyden and I sent a letter to all Senators 
reminding them of this standing order that we authored requiring 
disclosure of holds.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 1 more minute.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. When Senators spend most of their time on the Senate 
floor, as they used to before the Senate was on television, it was easy 
for any Senator to stand up and say ``I object,'' if consent were asked 
for any motion or any nomination. Now we spend most of our time in 
committee hearings and meeting with those we represent. We rely on our 
party leadership to protect our rights, and we sometimes tell them if 
we need someone to object on our behalf to moving a bill or a nominee. 
That happens to be called a hold. A hold should not be secret, I want 
everybody to know that sometimes I put holds on nominations or bills.
  Whoever heard of shouting ``I object'' in secret? A hold, in other 
words, ought to be public, as the standing order requires. The Senate 
affirmed that in the year 2011 by adopting a permanent standing order 
that Senator Wyden and I wrote. I remind my colleagues, that standing 
order is still in place.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.