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[Page S2895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOMINATIONS
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday the Senate voted to confirm
Kenneth Lee of California to serve as a U.S. circuit court judge for
the Ninth Circuit. Yet another well-qualified nominee will now bring
impressive legal experience and fine academic credentials to the job of
upholding the rule of law as a Federal judge.
Mr. Lee is far from the only nominee to an important position whom
the Senate confirmed this week.
On Tuesday we confirmed Michael Truncale of Texas to the Federal
bench in the Eastern District of Texas, and today we will consider
three more of the President's abundantly qualified picks to fill
vacancies in the executive branch and in the judiciary.
First, we will vote on Wendy Vitter of Louisiana, who has been
nominated to be a U.S. district court judge for the Eastern District of
Louisiana. Ms. Vitter's impressive legal career includes experience in
private practice and a decade in the Orleans Parish District Attorney's
Office, where she handled more than 100 felony jury trials. Ms. Vitter
has been favorably reported twice by our colleagues on the Judiciary
Committee. I would urge every one of our colleagues to vote to confirm
her today.
Following the Vitter nomination, we will turn to Brian Bulatao,
nominated to serve as Under Secretary of State for Management. As I
have mentioned, the job description is essentially that of chief
operating officer at the State Department, ensuring that tens of
thousands of diplomats, civil servants, and staff are provided for and
a host of important missions around the world can actually be carried
out.
Fortunately, we have a strong nominee who is up to the task. Mr.
Bulatao is a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School. After
service in the Army, he founded a business and worked in financial
management before entering public service as chief operating officer at
the CIA.
In Chairman Risch's assessment, he is ``eminently qualified.'' Our
colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee certainly agree, having
favorably reported his nomination with no opposition.
It has been 11 long months since the Senate first received his
nomination--11 months. I am glad that today we will finally be able to
put partisan delay behind us and get the nominee confirmed.
Finally, the Senate will vote today on the nomination of Jeffrey
Rosen to serve as Deputy Attorney General. As I have discussed earlier
in the week, the President has chosen a nominee with a rock-solid legal
reputation who served with distinction as the Deputy Secretary of
Transportation and who would be a clear asset to the Department of
Justice and to the Nation in this new capacity.
So I would urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm each of
these three well-qualified nominees for Federal service.
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