I do object to this nomination moving at this point to be able to do a unanimous consent on this. The reason for that is, at OMB, we have consistently gone back to them and asked for just basic information, and OMB continues to be the spot…

Yes, we cannot do oversight of what we cannot see.

I come today to the floor with a very simple unanimous consent request. This is a resolution. It doesn't allocate any dollars, doesn't change any policy. It is just a statement of belief from the U.S. Senate. It is a statement to be able…

there are a lot of things going on in the world right now--a lot. What is happening in Ukraine; Russian aggression; continuing talk about the continual challenges of communist China; dealing with COVID-19 and its effects still worldwide…

reserving the right to object, I appreciate the dialogue on education. A degree is an education. My mom is a lifelong educator. I spent my summers growing up in the school library, putting books in the Dewey Decimal System, putting the new…

the more you pull on people to say you have to give us every scrap of every piece, the more you incentivize people to work off the record.

I was at the State of the Union Address, as was the Chair and most of the folks in this room. In the State of the Union Address, the President made a very strong statement. I was pleased to be able to hear him say--he made this statement…

we are about to vote on an issue dealing with the national emergency here in the United States dealing with the pandemic. There has been no great shock that we have functioned under a lot of additional authorities that are happening, but I…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Oklahoma.

I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to speak prior to the scheduled vote: Senator Lankford, myself, up to 5 minutes; Senator Marshall for 2 minutes; Senator Schumer, up to 5 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

Why are we doing Senate confirmation for someone that the agency is picking to be in a relationship with us? So that seems nonsensical.

I have no problem with maintaining ethics for individuals that are serving in government, but we are talking about those that are literally in the application process at that point.

Going through the Presidential nomination process is the equivalent of a full-body cavity search through everything in your life and everything in your history and everything in your finances.

That is not right. Again, if they take the job on, that is different than you have to sacrifice all this stuff and then we will tell you later whether you are actually going to get it or not.

The Obama Administration, in eight years, had several IG positions they just refused to ever nominate someone for, and they did not want the oversight in that area.

Right. But we are back to Ms. Gerton's statement earlier that that is a shift and a focus for OPM to say I am a facilitator to these individuals that are actually doing it rather than a permission, compliance-based group.

You cannot legislate culture, just like you cannot legislate good management practices.

If you do not trust me, do not hire me.

We have to be able to make some decisive steps to be able to get to the future, and that is going to begin with improving our hiring process.

How do we get that list? How do we get the list of all those things?

Go ahead, if you are OK with that.

You ought to be able to hire someone and get them in a seat in under 30 days.

I think Congress is correct in wanting some kind of check or watchdog to make sure that there are not abuses when these things happen.

Our hiring system is definitely broken, and it shows every time we get to one of these hearings and someone else asks for another way to be able to get around it.

The COVID pandemic I also declare to be the largest pilot program ever done by the Federal Government on innovation and managing people and hiring and basic oversight.