[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 16, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S727-S728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Nominations

  Mr. President, on nominations, later today, the Senate is scheduled 
to advance and confirm a pair of critical Department of Defense 
nominees.
  One of them is Celeste Wallander, nominated to serve as Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. A veteran of 
the National Security Council, Ms. Wallander is one of our country's 
top Russian experts and a deeply experienced foreign policy adviser.
  As tensions persist in Eastern Europe, Ms. Wallander's expertise is 
urgently needed, and her nomination must be approved as soon as 
possible. Frankly, it should have happened weeks ago, the moment she 
was reported out of committee with support from both sides, but Ms. 
Wallander has remained on hold because one Member of this body--just 
one Republican--has objected to her swift passage.
  Intentionally delaying the confirmation of a qualified expert on 
Russian affairs at a time like this is supremely reckless and is making 
the American people less safe. For a Member of the Senate to insist on 
this hold is a clear risk to our national security, and it only serves 
to undermine our defense efforts. It is unacceptable and the definition 
of ``cynical.''
  Let me say it again.
  To intentionally delay the confirmation of a critical Department of 
Defense nominee and a Russian expert at a time when tensions persist in 
Ukraine and Eastern Europe is supremely reckless and is making the 
American people less safe.

[[Page S728]]

  But while this nominee has been delayed, she will nonetheless be 
confirmed by this Chamber. The vast majority of Senators understand 
that certain nominees are out of bounds from typical partisan politics. 
So we are going to do our jobs and confirm this nominee. As long as 
Republican holds continue on a vast number of other important 
nominations, the Senate will keep voting as long as it takes to get 
them through the Chamber. If it means voting late, as we have done in 
recent weeks, then that is what we must do.
  I will return later to join with my colleagues to speak further on 
increasingly reckless holds--holds that damage our security, both 
domestic and national--that we are seeing on the other side.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.