[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 215 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S9159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT SEAN McDONALD

  Mr. KING. Madam President, today I wish to recognize LT Sean 
McDonald, U.S. Navy, for his outstanding work on behalf of the people 
of Maine and the Nation as a 2021 Department of Defense Legislative 
Fellow serving in my Washington, DC, office. Lieutenant McDonald has 
been integral to shaping my foreign policy and national security 
priorities and helped secure a number of provisions in the fiscal year 
2022 National Defense Authorization Act--FY22 NDAA--that will make our 
country stronger and safer. Lieutenant McDonald's contributions, both 
to office morale and to our collective work product, are representative 
of his good character, competence, and strong work ethic.
  Throughout his tenure in my office, Lieutenant McDonald demonstrated 
a level of professionalism and hard work I have come to expect--but 
that I do not take for granted--from Department of Defense Legislative 
Fellows. Indeed, Lieutenant McDonald follows a long line of 
accomplished U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers who have made 
impactful contributions to my office and to U.S. national security 
policy. Over the course of the year, Lieutenant McDonald prepared and 
personally advised me on wide-ranging and complex matters under 
consideration before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lieutenant 
McDonald brought his naval expertise to bear to help secure 
authorization for the procurement of additional Arleigh Burke-class 
destroyers in the FY22 NDAA, a critical capability for the U.S. fleet 
and a boon to the Maine shipbuilding workforce. He also helped guide my 
work as chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces during my 
inaugural year in this position, helping craft policy on nuclear and 
strategic forces, missile defense, and space programs. Further, during 
the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Lieutenant McDonald 
provided clear-headed and thoughtful analysis on the withdrawal and 
liaised with representatives from the White House, State Department, 
and Department of Defense to convey my positions and concerns. His 
candor and honest assessments provided critical insights during this 
challenging time, and our Nation is better because of it.
  On behalf of my colleagues and the U.S. Congress, I thank Lieutenant 
McDonald for his dedicated service to my staff, the U.S. Navy, and the 
Nation. I wish him all the best and know that he will excel in his next 
endeavors.

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