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Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of Mark Eskenazi's and Amanda Wood Laihow's nominations to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

I want to note for my colleagues that the Commission has not had a quorum since April of 2023 and, as a result, has been unable to decide cases for more than a year. Delays with the Commission's cases create significant risks to workers, and that is, in part, because, when an employer appeals a citation, they don't have to fix the alleged hazard until the Commission issues a final decision.

Mr. Eskenazi is currently an Assistant General Counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and previously has held numerous positions at the National Labor Relations Board.

This is Ms. Wood Laihow's second nomination to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. She was previously confirmed in January of 2020. Prior to her role on this Commission, she has served as the director of labor and employment policy for the National Association of Manufacturers and as deputy general counsel for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

I support this bipartisan pair of nominees that will allow the Commission to have a quorum, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

374 and 785; that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening action or debate; and that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I am disappointed that my Republican colleague has blocked the confirmations of these nominees. These nominees have been held up since last year, and it is time to end these delays and confirm these nominees.

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I ask that the scheduled vote occur immediately.

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