[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 16, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S1220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONFIRMATION OF SHALANDA D. YOUNG

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, I am pleased to acknowledge the 
confirmation of Shalanda Young to be the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget with a bipartisan vote of 61 to 36.
  Director Young has a depth of experience that cannot be matched to 
lead the Office of Management and Budget. A staff member on the House 
Appropriations Committee for 15 years--serving 4 of these years as the 
committee's staff director--Director Young has years of experience in 
crafting the budgets of the Federal agencies that the American people 
rely on.
  In 2019, Director Young was one of the few staff present in the room 
while then Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, 
and I negotiated the end to the longest Federal Government shutdown in 
U.S. history. Her knowledge of Federal programs, understanding of the 
political process, and years of critical insight into the operations of 
the federal government were invaluable in our negotiations to reach a 
deal.
  I was glad to strongly support Director Young's nomination to be 
Deputy Director of OMB. After she was confirmed to that position, she 
began to serve as its Acting Director. It was in this role that she 
guided the Biden administration's budget priorities through the COVID 
pandemic, devastating natural disasters, a long sought after bipartisan 
infrastructure law, and now the response to President Putin's 
unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
  As if she did not have enough on her plate, on October 31, 2021, she 
gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Charlie. If juggling all of that 
did not prove she is more than qualified for the job, I am not sure 
what would.
  As the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I look 
forward to working with her and her team at OMB on the fiscal year 2023 
appropriations process. Director Young understands how to work across 
the aisle to get a deal done. I cannot think of someone I would rather 
work with in putting the appropriations process to work on behalf of 
the American people.

                          ____________________