[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S175-S176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Peter Gaynor

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise to support the nomination of Peter T. 
Gaynor to be the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, FEMA.
  I have known and worked with Pete Gaynor for over a decade. Before 
taking over as FEMA Deputy Administrator in 2018 and becoming the 
Acting Administrator in 2019, Pete was the emergency management 
director for the city of Providence and then the State of Rhode Island.
  As a U.S. marine, he was on duty near the Pentagon on September 11, 
2001, and helped direct important aspects of the response and recovery 
efforts in the days and weeks that followed. Later, he went on to serve 
in U.S. operations in Iraq before returning home to Rhode Island.
  As EMA, emergency management agency director in Rhode Island, Pete 
led the response to federally declared disasters in our State and 
worked to successfully earn national emergency management accreditation 
for both the Providence and Rhode Island emergency management agencies. 
I know he will tap this full experience to serve the American people as 
FEMA Administrator, and FEMA needs solid leadership.
  Indeed, as the flagship Federal Agency for disaster preparedness and 
response, FEMA faces extraordinary challenges, confronting the very 
real effects of climate-related disasters, reforming the National Flood 
Insurance Program, administering critical grant programs, and helping 
ready the Nation for possible chemical, biological, and radiological 
attacks.
  Make no mistake, I have deep concerns about many aspects of the 
administration's approach to disaster recovery. Puerto Rico is a case 
in point. Now it is facing new challenges. As ranking member of the 
Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, I have been dismayed by 
the Department of Housing and Urban Development's slow-walking of 
billions of dollars of disaster recovery assistance for Puerto Rico.
  As the lead Agency for disaster response and recovery, FEMA must set 
the standard for professionalism and compassion for people and 
communities going through the worst experience of their lives. It is my 
expectation and my confidence that Peter Gaynor will work to make sure 
it happens.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the pending 
nomination of Peter Gaynor to be the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays are ordered.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Gaynor 
nomination?
  The yeas and nays were previously ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. 
Cramer),

[[Page S176]]

 the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Wisconsin 
(Mr. Johnson), and the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy).
  Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Johnson) would have voted ``yea.''
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), 
the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy), 
the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Young). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 81, nays 8, as follows:

                       [Rollcall Vote No. 12 Ex.]

                                YEAS--81

     Alexander
     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blackburn
     Blumenthal
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Collins
     Coons
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Jones
     Kaine
     King
     Lankford
     Leahy
     Lee
     Loeffler
     Manchin
     McConnell
     McSally
     Merkley
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Paul
     Perdue
     Peters
     Portman
     Reed
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rosen
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Schatz
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Sinema
     Smith
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Warner
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden
     Young

                                NAYS--8

     Brown
     Gillibrand
     Harris
     Menendez
     Schumer
     Stabenow
     Udall
     Van Hollen

                             NOT VOTING--11

     Booker
     Cassidy
     Cramer
     Inhofe
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Klobuchar
     Markey
     Murphy
     Sanders
     Warren
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to 
reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the President 
will be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.
  The majority whip.

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