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Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, when the 119th Congress commences next year, one of the first great tasks of this body will be fulfilling our constitutional duty to provide advice and consent regarding the President-elect's nominees.

The advice and consent authority is a cornerstone of the Senate's constitutional mandate, a power central to preserving America's system of checks and balances. The Founding Fathers knew firsthand the great danger of allowing unchecked Executives to appoint individuals to positions of power without any guardrails. In fact, this was one of their greatest grievances against the British Crown.

Very soon, the Senate will be called upon to exercise its advice and consent authority once again as a new administration enters office next year.

The Senate's advice and consent power will be especially important next year given that the President-elect has at times made statements about potentially working around the Senate to appoint his nominees. Hopefully, this doesn't become an issue.

But, nevertheless, it will be the responsibility of the incoming Republican majority to protect the Senate against any attempt to erode its authority.

So, today, I sent a letter to incoming Republican Leader Thune, urging him to uphold the Senate's constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on the President's nominations. I said Democrats will be ready to work with Republicans in a bipartisan way on the nominations process and give each nominee the same fair and thorough consideration that previous nominees of both parties have received.

We should hold hearings with the nominees and markups in committees. And Senators should be given the chance to vote on nominees here on the Senate floor.

The American people deserve public servants who put the needs of the country ahead of the political needs of any individual, Republican or Democrat. The American people deserve public servants whose judgment, character, and experience inspires confidence and reflects our Nation's highest ideals.

Most of all, the American people deserve public servants who will uphold their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

The best mechanism for ensuring the President appoints qualified, capable, and ethical officials is precisely the advice and consent power of the Senate. And it will be the responsibility of the incoming majority and the incoming majority leader to ensure that the authority of the Senate is carried out and preserved.

I urge incoming Leader Thune and Senate Republicans to work with Democrats to protect the Senate's authorities under the Constitution.

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