[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4716-S4718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of two critical 
nominations: Jen Easterly's nomination to be the Director of the 
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency--commonly referred to 
as CISA--within the Department of Homeland Security, as well as Robin 
Carnahan to be the Administrator of the General Services 
Administration, or GSA.
  Our country is under attack. Nation-state actors and criminal 
organizations are relentlessly targeting our government, critical 
infrastructure, and key industries to infiltrate networks, steal 
information, conduct espionage, and demand ransom payments.
  These cyber attacks pose a serious threat to our national security. 
As we saw from the SolarWinds hack, as well as the Colonial Pipeline 
and JBS ransomware attacks, cyber criminals are constantly looking to 
exploit cyber security vulnerabilities and find the weakest link. We 
must be vigilant about preventing these attacks, and we need a strong, 
coordinated approach from across the Federal Government to better 
secure America's networks. That means the Senate needs to confirm 
qualified cyber security nominees so that they can get to work 
immediately.
  CISA is the lead domestic Agency for cyber security in the Federal 
Government. It is responsible for ensuring that Federal Departments and 
Agencies--our private sector critical infrastructure partners--and the 
American people have the resources to detect, to withstand, and to 
respond to cyber attacks. GSA provides a wide range of support to 
Agencies across the government. One of GSA's key functions is to 
provide funding and expertise to help Agencies both modernize and 
secure their IT systems and their networks. We need Senate-confirmed 
leadership at the top of these critical Agencies, and we need it today.
  Ms. Easterly has served for over three decades in the Federal 
Government and the private sector.
  Since 2017, Ms. Easterly has led the operations center for Morgan 
Stanley's cyber defense strategy. She was also a critical member of the 
Cyber Solarium Commission, which has made 80 recommendations for cyber 
deterrence, 25 of which have already become law.

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  Prior to joining the private sector, Ms. Easterly served as the 
Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for 
Counterterrorism, the Deputy for Counterterrorism at the National 
Security Agency, and was instrumental in the design and creation of the 
U.S. Cyber Command.
  On top of all of these incredible accomplishments, Ms. Easterly is a 
two-time recipient of the Bronze Star and retired from the U.S. Army 
after more than 20 years of service in intelligence in cyber 
operations.
  Ms. Easterly is more than qualified for this position, and this body 
needs to confirm her nomination today to lead CISA.
  Every day that this body delays confirming critical leaders like Ms. 
Easterly and Ms. Carnahan leaves our Federal system and our Nation 
vulnerable to cyber attacks. We have already seen the damage and the 
chaos from these attacks. The Colonial Pipeline attack disrupted the 
lives of millions of Americans, created fuel shortages, and saddled 
customers with high gas prices for weeks. The next major breach could 
be even worse.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Ms. Easterly's 
nomination to lead CISA and to take on the vital mission of 
strengthening our defenses and fighting back against the persistent 
cyber attacks that threaten our Nation each and every day. Cyber 
security and strengthening our Federal networks are not partisan 
issues. Cyber attacks put each and every one of us at risk.
  I would hope my colleagues will allow these nominees to be confirmed 
today so they can keep us safe.
  With that, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of Calendar No. 176, Jen Easterly, of New York, to be 
Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 
Department of Homeland Security, and the Senate vote on the nomination 
without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Reserving the right to object, I want to make 
one thing very clear. I am here today to ensure accountability to the 
American people.
  I voted to support Ms. Easterly's confirmation in committee last 
week, and if Senator Schumer filed for cloture, like he has done for 
dozens of other nominees this year, I would vote to support her 
confirmation here on the Senate floor. This isn't about Ms. Easterly. 
This isn't about cyber security. Remember, we unanimously confirmed the 
National Cyber Director just last week.
  I am here today because families in my State of Florida and across 
our Nation deserve accountability, and President Biden has shown a 
total lack of accountability when it comes to addressing the border 
crisis. That is why I announced last month that I would be holding all 
of President Biden's nominees for the Department of Homeland Security 
from being approved through our expedited process until he and Vice 
President Harris visit the border and they see for themselves the 
crisis their failed policies of open borders and amnesty have created.
  I understand the White House has just announced that Vice President 
Harris will be visiting the border later this week. I hope that is 
true. The administration has made a lot of promises that they haven't 
kept, like not raising taxes, reopening schools quickly, being tough on 
Communist China--the list goes on and on.
  Trust me, I am glad the Vice President seems to be taking my advice 
and finally listening to the American people. I truly hope that she 
gets down to the border to see the crisis firsthand that her 
administration and their failed policies have created.
  I hope she meets with the National Border Patrol Council and hears 
from them what our brave CBP agents are going through every day to keep 
us safe.
  I hope she meets with border community sheriffs who are responsible 
for keeping our families safe
  I hope she meets with ICE and CBP section chiefs so she can hear 
firsthand the impact on them.
  I hope she takes an aerial tour, like I did, and sees the gaps in the 
wall.
  I hope she sees where the lights and cameras are sitting powerless, 
without electricity, and unable to be used to monitor our border.
  I hope she meets with families who have been the victims of 
trafficking and hears the horrific stories they have and what they have 
been through because of this crisis.
  I hope she visits border communities that have been put in a position 
to house and care for the historic number of people illegally crossing 
our border.
  I hope she talks with families who have tragically lost loved ones 
from the massive amounts of fentanyl that the cartels are moving across 
our border.
  I hope she talks to the ranchers impacted by people illegally 
crossing their lands.
  More than anything, I hope this isn't a political stunt. If she truly 
goes to see this crisis, I will lift all of my holds of DHS political 
nominees. It is that simple.
  What is happening at the border is a crisis; there is simply no other 
word for it. It has been 3 months since I traveled to the southern 
border to see exactly how President Biden's open borders and amnesty 
policies are wreaking havoc. I took a tour with Governor Ducey. We did 
an aerial tour. What you see is a wall and then all of a sudden, these 
openings. They intentionally didn't put up the gates.
  I remember my colleagues were saying: Oh, we don't need the wall. We 
have lights and cameras so they can monitor from someplace else.
  They are out there; they are just not hooked up to electricity, 
intentionally. I mean, you can't make this stuff up.
  It has been 3 months since I made clear that President Biden and Vice 
President Harris need to get to the border and see the crisis their 
administration has created. It has been 3 months since they pledged to 
visit the border. Since then, as you all know--you look at all the 
numbers--apprehensions at our southern border are at a record high. 
More than 180,000 illegal aliens tried to cross our southern border 
last month and were apprehended--the highest in 21 years. This is a 
crisis. It threatens our national security and the safety of American 
families. And we don't know how many people we didn't apprehend.
  President Biden's immigration policies are putting unaccompanied 
minors at risk of human trafficking, violence, sexual abuse, and 
separation from their families. They are leading to an alarming 
increase in human trafficking and drug smuggling by cartels.
  FBI Director Wray said this month that there is ``no question'' that 
cartel activity from Mexico is ``spilling over'' into the United 
States. We are seeing it here in Florida. I talk to sheriffs. What they 
are telling me is that unbelievable amounts of fentanyl are coming 
across the border and getting into our State, putting Florida families 
in danger. I was down at one lab, and they were telling me that two 
people died that week from fentanyl.
  But instead of securing the border and finishing wall construction 
projects, President Biden is terminating all of the wall projects. Why 
would you be doing this?
  The inaction by President Biden and Vice President Harris is 
inexcusable. I don't know what they are waiting for. Why can't they 
acknowledge that a secure border is the best thing for our Nation? If 
you talk to people around this country, they want a secure border. Why 
can't they stand up against the radical left and say that open borders 
are dangerous to American families?
  Two weeks ago, the Vice President went to Guatemala and Mexico. While 
she was there, she was asked by Lester Holt when she was going to go to 
the border, and she laughed. I mean, this is not a laughing matter. 
This is a crisis, and people are dying because of this crisis. It 
should make all of us furious.
  People are dying. Children are being exploited, and they are being 
abandoned in the desert. Earlier this week, two Ecuadorian children--
two little girls, 3 and 5 years old--were dropped over a 14-foot 
section of the border wall. We all saw the pictures. They were 
abandoned there in the middle of the night, two innocent little girls, 
just 3 and 5 years old. Can you imagine how terrified they were? I 
mean, I

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think of my daughters. I think of my grandchildren. We all do. We all 
think, how would our family deal with that? It just breaks your heart.
  The Vice President claims the Vice President's trip down to Guatemala 
and Mexico was to talk about the root cause of immigration. I don't 
believe that. The Vice President's trip wasn't anything more than a 
poorly executed political stunt.
  President Biden and Vice President Harris need to stop avoiding the 
crisis, stop laughing off this threat, get to the border, and take real 
steps. As I said, once they actually go to the border and actually see 
the crisis, I will lift my hold. This is all to make sure they go to 
the border. But as long as they refuse to help those risking their 
lives every day to keep us safe, as long as they refuse to visit the 
border and put an end to the humanitarian crisis they created, I am 
going to keep my holds on.
  Those two little girls and all the people who have been trafficked--
they deserve better. The millions of immigrants in our country going 
through a legal process--they deserve better. Our Border Patrol 
agents--they deserve better. All American families deserve better. 
Therefore, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Michigan.

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