[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 23 (Monday, February 8, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S565-S566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Nomination of Denis Richard McDonough

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, today I rise in support of my friend 
and fellow Minnesotan, Denis McDonough, as President Biden's nominee 
for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. And no one knows but you, the 
Senator from Illinois, Madam President, about how important this job is 
for our veterans.
  Denis grew up in Stillwater, MN, which is right near the Wisconsin 
border. He is a grandson of Irish immigrants, the son of devout 
Catholic parents, and brother to 10 siblings. He attended St. John's 
College in Collegeville, MN, and in addition to graduating summa cum 
laude, he played safety on the very proud championship St. John's 
football team.
  I have been privileged to call Denis a friend for years, and I know 
he will serve our country well as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. As 
he has done his whole life, he will honor the promises our country has 
made to our veterans and their families.
  Denis's commitment to our Nation's veterans was clear during his time 
as President Obama's Chief of Staff, where he made sure that every 
decision impacting our servicemembers, veterans, and their families was 
befitting of their sacrifices. Showing respect and gratitude for our 
Nation's veterans is not something Denis just prioritizes; it is a 
value for him.
  As we know from his time as President Obama's Chief of Staff, he is 
an adept manager who understands how to tackle complex challenges 
throughout our government, which will be vital for the next Secretary.
  As we also know, the VA is facing a number of challenges, from 
helping veterans to stay safe during the pandemic to improving the 
quality of care for veterans around the country. These are not simple 
problems, and these are not simple challenges, and they will require, 
as you have shown, Madam President, true leadership and vision, 
whic has been, again, the hallmark of Denis's time in public service.

  I also know that he will work tirelessly to find bipartisan 
solutions, and I think you see that from the support that he has gotten 
throughout the country as well as on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, 
where I was honored to introduce him when he started on this journey of 
Senate approval, and it has never been more important than ever to 
unite our country and get that kind of support. So much of our work 
with our veterans is about keeping our promises and showing respect, 
not just in words but in actions.
  What other Senators who don't know Denis as well or are new to 
Washington--what they may see as time goes on, they will see the 
qualities of honor and loyalty in Denis's commitment to his family, 
which also includes his family in Minnesota. I know this firsthand. He 
has so many relatives that you can't go anywhere without

[[Page S566]]

running into some McDonough. You see it in how he has treated everyone 
he has worked with, when he worked in the Senate, when he worked as 
President Obama's Chief of Staff. I also will assure my fellow Senators 
that he will listen to Senators. He will have respect for the people 
who work here. You see it every day in how he always puts his country 
first.
  During his distinguished career, Denis has approached each and every 
job with the spirit of respect, honesty, collaboration, and a 
willingness to make himself accessible to his colleagues and his team. 
He is deeply committed to supporting the workforce at the VA.
  I want our veterans to know he will do two things so well: He will 
listen, and he will get things done for you.
  One of my favorite stories about Denis involves this--listening and 
then getting things done. We were having a lot of trouble up in 
northern Minnesota with the iron ore mines closing down, as you all 
remember, kind of coming out of the downturn. It never really bounced 
back. Then we had the steel dumping going on from China and other 
countries, the illegal steel dumping, and that really spread through 
the country and led to the closure of many of our mines.
  We tried to introduce legislation, and finally I asked Denis to come 
up to northern Minnesota, since he was from our State, as President 
Obama's Chief of Staff and sit down with a bunch of mayors from 
northern Minnesota, from Minnesota's Iron Range, with workers and with 
mine owners.
  There was this long, long table, and nearly everyone had spoken. Near 
the end, a miner named Dan Hill was the last to go, and he said: Well, 
everything has been said, so I will just tell this story. He said that 
he was out of work, and he said that his son had just graduated from 
preschool. The teacher asked them at the graduation: What do you want 
to do when you grow up? The kids were saying all kinds of things--that 
they wanted to play basketball or they were going to fly an airplane 
and all kinds of cool things--and Denis's son looked at the teacher and 
said: I want to be a miner like my daddy.
  At that moment, Dan Hill took this steelworker T-shirt that he had in 
his hand and he threw it across the whole long table. And I remember 
sitting next to Denis thinking, you were a football player; catch the 
T-shirt. And he caught the T-shirt.
  Dan Hill said:

       Mr. McDonough, make it come true. Make it come true.

  Denis listened, but then he acted. He went back to Washington and he 
didn't just ignite a fire under the Commerce Department to get them to 
do even more work than they were already doing on enforcing tariffs and 
going after this illegal dumping and bringing things to the 
International Trade Commission, he also looked at other agencies, and 
he helped us, along with Sherrod Brown and so many others, to pass 
legislation that made a difference.
  All of this happened, and Dan Hill got his job back. Then I invited 
Dan Hill to come to one of the last State of the Unions for President 
Obama, and Denis invited Dan Hill to the White House, and Dan Hill got 
to meet practically everyone surrounding the President.
  That is Denis McDonough. He listened, but he didn't just say ``Oh, I 
got there. I went. We will try our best''; he actually followed through 
the minutia of government to get things done.
  I am going to end with the words of a poet whom President Biden 
happens to love. Given Denis's Irish roots, I can't think of a better 
person to quote from today, and it is Mr. Heaney, who once wrote: 
``Anyone with gumption and a sharp mind will take the measure of two 
things: what's said and what's done.''
  So Denis will not just say words to the veterans of this country; as 
your Secretary, he will get things done.
  With that, I ask my colleagues to support the nomination of Denis 
McDonough as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.