[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 870 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 870
Honoring the life and the legacy of Secretary Ash Carter.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 13, 2022
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hirono, Mr.
Kaine, Ms. Warren, Mr. Peters, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Reed, Mr.
King, and Mr. Manchin) submitted the following resolution; which was
considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and the legacy of Secretary Ash Carter.
Whereas Ashton ``Ash'' Baldwin Carter (referred to in this preamble as
``Secretary Carter'') was born on September 24, 1954, in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, to William Carter, Jr., and Anne Carter (nee Baldwin);
Whereas Secretary Carter received dual bachelor's degrees in physics and
medieval history at Yale College, summa cum laude, and a doctorate in
theoretical physics from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar;
Whereas Secretary Carter first entered public service in 1981, serving in the
Program Analysis and Evaluation Office of the Department of Defense;
Whereas, from 1993 to 1996, Secretary Carter served as Assistant Secretary of
Defense (Nuclear Security and Counterproliferation) and Assistant
Secretary of Defense (International Security Policy) under President
William J. Clinton, during which Secretary Carter oversaw the Nunn-Lugar
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which was responsible for the
securing and dismantling of weapons of mass destruction in the former
states of the Soviet Union, including the removal of nuclear weapons
from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus;
Whereas, from 2009 to 2011, Secretary Carter served as Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics under President
Barack H. Obama, during which he led critical procurement and
acquisition initiatives, such as the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected
family of vehicles, saving the lives of countless service members;
Whereas, from 2011 to 2013, Secretary Carter served as Deputy Secretary of
Defense under President Barack H. Obama, during which he oversaw the
management and personnel of the Department of Defense and steered
defense strategy and budget through sequestration;
Whereas, from 2015 to 2017, Secretary Carter served as the 25th Secretary of
Defense under President Barack H. Obama, and he was revered for his
leadership on gender equity and the reinvigoration of United States
technology in the defense sector;
Whereas Secretary Carter charted a strategic path for the Department of Defense
to meet the China challenge by continuing to rebalance the defense
presence and security cooperation of the United States in the Asia-
Pacific region;
Whereas Secretary Carter played a leading role in the United States-led global
coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which led to
the liberation of strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, and the
territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria;
Whereas Secretary Carter's focus on innovation led to the creation of the
Defense Innovation Unit, the goal of which is to bring the rapid
advancement in commercial technologies to the Department of Defense;
Whereas, under the direction of Secretary Carter, the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency funded mRNA research, later contributing to the
development of critical COVID-19 vaccines, saving millions of lives in
the United States and abroad;
Whereas, under the direction of Secretary Carter, the Department of Defense
opened all military roles to women, increased critical paid military
maternity leave, and permitted transgender service members to join and
serve openly;
Whereas Secretary Carter authored and co-authored 11 books and more than 100
articles on physics, technology, national security, and management;
Whereas, after Secretary Carter's tenure as Secretary of Defense ended, his
dedication to public service continued as the Director of the Belfer
Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University, where he mentored the next
generation of national security leaders;
Whereas Secretary Carter was a 5-time recipient of the Department of Defense
Distinguished Public Service Medal, was a 2-time recipient of the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian
Service Award, and received numerous other awards and decorations for
public service;
Whereas Secretary Carter was known to all as a devoted public servant who was
resilient in the face of adversity;
Whereas, on October 24, 2022, at the age of 68, Secretary Carter died due to a
sudden cardiac event and is survived by his wife, Stephanie, his son,
Will, his daughter, Ava, and his sisters, Corinne and Cynthia; and
Whereas Secretary Carter will be remembered as a committed teacher, a loving
father, a devoted husband, and a loyal friend: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate--
(A) expresses its deepest sympathy to the family
members of the late Secretary Ashton B. Carter;
(B) honors the outstanding life and legacy of
Secretary Ashton B. Carter; and
(C) commends Secretary Ashton B. Carter for his
life accomplishments within the United States
Government; and
(2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands adjourned as
a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Secretary
Ashton B. Carter.
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