[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 176 (Wednesday, October 6, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6927-S6928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Nomination of Elizabeth Merrill Brown

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor to call for the 
confirmation of a highly qualified nominee to the Department of 
Education.
  Over the past year and a half, we all know that this pandemic has 
made life harder for so many Americans but especially students across 
the country, disrupting their classrooms and their learning, 
challenging their mental health, and deepening inequities.
  And while we have made significant progress, our work to get everyone 
through this pandemic is far from over, to say nothing of the 
challenges in our education system that predate the pandemic. For 
example, rooting out systemic racism at every level, ensuring students 
have safe modern schools and infrastructure, addressing the student 
debt crisis and high cost of higher education, and ending the epidemic 
of campus sexual violence, just to name a few.
  In light of all of these challenges, we need a fully staffed 
education department to help see our schools through this pandemic and 
to help us build back stronger and fairer, which is why I have come to 
the floor today to call for the Senate to confirm Lisa Brown, the 
nominee to be general counsel for the Department of Education.
  I won't recite her significant experience, but suffice it to say she 
has great public service credentials in the executive branch of our 
government over many years. Lisa Brown proved herself well--I should 
say, proved herself well prepared for the work ahead when we had our 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing with her and 
she was passed out of the committee on a bipartisan voice vote. I will 
say that again--a bipartisan voice vote.
  She is a highly qualified nominee and should not be a controversial 
one. Students, parents, and educators deserve to have her confirmed so 
she can get to work for our communities. I urge all my colleagues to 
join me in supporting her.

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