Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding today’s agreement to move forward on a series of Presidential nominees whose Senate confirmations had been held up by Republican filibuster threats:
“I’m still deeply concerned about the pattern of obstruction by Senate Republicans on everything from executive and judicial nominations to important legislation, but I’m glad we reached an agreement on these seven nominations. The confirmation of Gina McCarthy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency will be a victory for public health and I know she will do an excellent job carrying out the President’s plan to reduce carbon pollution. I look forward to voting for her confirmation.
“I’m also pleased that the Senate has cleared the filibuster to confirm Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I look forward to working with him to protect consumers from the abusive practices of the financial industry and ensure that the Wall Street banks are giving Rhode Islanders a fair shake.
“I hope today’s agreement is a sign that Senate Republicans finally see a better path forward than obstruction.”
In addition to McCarthy and Cordray, the Senate is also expected to confirm Thomas Perez as Secretary of Labor, Fred Hochberg as Chairman of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and Mark Pearce as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). As part of the reported agreement, two other NLRB nominees will be withdrawn and replaced by new nominees.
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