[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 57 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NOMINATION OF ELAINE DUKE

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I want to talk briefly about a nomination 
that is coming before us this week. This is for Elaine Duke to be the 
Deputy Homeland Security Secretary.
  This is an incredibly important job. Some of you remember the 
Homeland Security Department was made up of about 23 different 
departments and agencies coming together. It is a huge management 
challenge. The key job of the Deputy Secretary is to try to manage all 
of that.
  We are very fortunate that Elaine Duke is willing to step forward and 
take on this responsibility. My hope is that we will have a bipartisan 
vote here on the floor of the Senate for her confirmation and that we 
do it quickly this week because they need her there.
  She came before our Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs last month. We had a very productive hearing. I had the honor 
of introducing her to the committee because she has Ohio roots. We are 
very proud of those Ohio roots.
  She has had a long, distinguished career all across the country in 
the Federal Government, but she still calls Ohio home, and much of her 
family continues to reside in Ohio. Her dad, Frank Costanzo, is a 
first-generation American who still lives in Cleveland, OH. I have also 
known her uncle, Dominick Costanzo, for over 25 years. He is a friend 
and a neighbor. Boy, he is very proud of his niece, as is her whole 
family.
  This family has instilled in her a midwestern work ethic that you see 
in the great work she has done for the Federal Government over the past 
28 years. She has worked as a senior member of various administrations. 
We are really fortunate that she is willing to now continue to serve.
  She started her career as a GS-7 contract specialist for the U.S. Air 
Force. Over the next 28 years, she assumed bigger and bigger 
responsibilities in the Air Force, the Navy, the Federal Railroad 
Administration, the Smithsonian, and finally, the Department of 
Homeland Security.
  In 2008, she was confirmed unanimously by this Senate to serve as the 
Under Secretary for Management at DHS. In this latest role, she, of 
course, was a key member of the DHS leadership team for both Secretary 
Chertoff and Secretary Napolitano, and they strongly support her.
  She has earned a reputation for being an expert on issues of 
contracting, on acquisitions, on procurement, on property management, 
on organizational change, and on human resources. All of these, as I 
said earlier, are key issues right now at the Department of Homeland 
Security, so she will help it to be managed better, which will protect 
all of us.
  Serving in these administrations--both Republican and Democrat--she 
did earn the respect of folks from both sides of the aisle. I find it 
interesting that all five previously confirmed DHS Deputy Secretaries 
have unanimously and strongly recommended her confirmation--all five of 
the previously confirmed ones. They said in their letter:

       Elaine is extraordinarily well-qualified to serve in the 
     position for which she has now been nominated. . . . Elaine 
     knows DHS. She has been a senior leader at DHS under two 
     presidents. She sets an unwavering standard of excellence for 
     all who consider themselves committed to public service.

  I look forward to having this vote. I hope we will have resounding 
support on a bipartisan basis for the nomination.
  Secretary Kelly is doing a good job. General Kelly has an incredibly 
distinguished career. We are fortunate that he has stepped up as 
Secretary also. He needs her. He needs his deputy in place to help him 
run the Department, and the men and women serving in DHS today need her 
on the job.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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