[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S550-S551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Nominations

  Mr. President, now on nominations, today, the Senate will continue 
focusing our responsibility to confirm more of President Biden's 
nominees.
  By the end of today, we expect to finish the confirmation of four 
more nominees, including Amy Gutmann to

[[Page S551]]

serve in the pivotal role as U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
  For the information of all Senators, there is a strong likelihood 
that a significant number of additional votes will be held later today. 
If so, we want to make sure things keep moving briskly on the floor. 
Just as we did last week, I ask my colleagues to cast their votes 
quickly, to remain in their seats or near the floor as much as 
possible, and to be flexible in order to prevent extended delays. We 
did a good job of it last week, so let's continue the pace this evening 
as well when we move forward on more votes.
  Off the floor, it is an important day for my home State of New York 
when it comes to nominations. A few moments ago, it was my honor to 
come before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and introduce 
Assemblyman Nick Perry to serve as Ambassador to Jamaica. I was also 
proud to introduce Randi Charno Levine to serve as U.S. Ambassador to 
Portugal. It would be impossible--impossible--to find a better fit for 
Ambassador to Jamaica than my friend Nick Perry, whom I urged the Biden 
administration to select for the post.
  Assemblyman Perry represents so much of what is good and promising 
about America: He is an immigrant; he is an Army veteran; he is a 
graduate of Brooklyn College and one of New York's leading voices 
fighting for working families. He is a very, very familiar face in 
Brooklyn because he likes to do politics the old-fashioned way: shake 
hands, show up as much as possible, and just listen to people's 
stories.
  When confirmed, Assemblyman Perry would make history as the first 
ever native-born Jamaican to serve as U.S. Ambassador. It is a truly 
important milestone and one that is long overdue, and it makes Brooklyn 
particularly proud.
  When I go through Brooklyn, I sometimes ask my constituents, 
particularly at the West Indian Day Parade, I ask them: What is the 
largest island in the Caribbean? I tell him it is a trick question. 
Some people say Cuba. Some people say Haiti. Some people say Barbados.
  I say, no, Brooklyn is the largest island in the Caribbean because we 
have more Caribbean immigrants than just about anywhere else. And that 
is why Brooklyn, particularly, is so proud that Nick is going to become 
our Ambassador to Jamaica. Not only is he Jamaican-born, but he is a 
Brooklynite through and through.
  From Patrick Ewing to KRS-One, from Vice President Kamala Harris to 
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, to the late General Powell, Jamaican 
Americans hold a key place in our Nation's rich legacy. Nick Perry will 
continue to add to this legacy, as he has for decades. So I am so proud 
to support him and to recommend him as nominee for Ambassador to 
Jamaica.
  This morning, it was also my honor to introduce Randi Levine to 
become only the second woman to ever serve as Ambassador to Portugal. I 
have known Randi and her husband Jeff for over 30 years. They have been 
longtime advocates for many different communities across New York, 
especially our Jewish population.
  As chair of the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy here in 
Washington, Randi has also been one of our top leaders for promoting 
cultural exchanges between students, diplomats, and business leaders. 
In other words, she has already advanced--in a different context--the 
work that any good Ambassador must accomplish: encouraging and 
fostering understanding between our country and people around the 
world. I have every bit of confidence that Randi will represent the 
United States with distinction as an ambassador to Portugal, and she 
has my most enthusiastic support.
  Finally, I also want to recognize and commend the nomination of 
Professor Deborah Lipstadt to serve as the State Department's Special 
Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, a position that carries the 
rank of Ambassador.
  Dr. Lipstadt's leadership is desperately needed. The malicious poison 
of anti-Semitism must be confronted whenever it rears its ugly head. We 
have seen a spike of anti-Semitism here at home and abroad, making this 
position exceedingly important.
  As one of the Nation's top scholars on the Holocaust and on modern-
day anti-Semitism, Dr. Lipstadt ought to be confirmed as soon as 
possible, and I am glad she is receiving her confirmation hearing 
today.