On the recordJune 24, 2021
Mr. President, reserving the right to object, before I address this issue, I will take a moment of personal privilege to talk about the horrific tragedy that occurred in Surfside, FL, when an apartment building collapsed earlier this morning. Miami-Dade fire and rescue, Miami-Dade police, and our other brave first responders rushed to the scene and have been working nonstop to rescue those trapped in the rubble. It looks horrible. I have talked to quite a few people down there, and we know of one confirmed death, and, hopefully, there won't be no more. But I know they are still trying to get people out of the rubble. So I join all my Floridians in praying for strength for these first responders and all those impacted by this disaster. First, I want to thank my colleague for giving me a few moments to speak on this difficult moment for my State. My colleague raised this same issue yesterday. I am here fighting for accountability for the American people. So I will say the same in return. I voted to support Ms. Easterly's confirmation in committee last week. If Senator Schumer filed for cloture, like he has done for dozens of other nominees this year, I would vote to support her confirmation here on the Senate floor. In fact, I don't understand why Senator Schumer didn't file for cloture on Tuesday night when my office first learned of my colleague's intention to raise this. We could be voting on her confirmation right now. As my colleague has said, this isn't about Ms.…





