[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2444-S2445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                  Nomination of Admiral Linda L. Fagan

  Mr. President, I also want to speak about the historical significance 
of another nominee that will be voted on shortly. Tonight, hopefully, 
in the wrap-up, we will be passing on the nomination of Admiral Linda 
Fagan to be the next Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast 
Guard serves the American people by safeguarding life at sea, 
protecting the environment, and ensuring our national security.
  The role of Commandant is to lead the Coast Guard's approximately 
55,000 Active Duty, reserve, and civilian workers, and approximately 
26,000 volunteers in the execution of the Coast Guard's 11 different 
missions.
  From managing vessel traffic, to tackling drug smugglers, to saving 
lives in rough seas, to protecting endangered marine life, no military 
service does more with fewer resources. Yet the Coast Guard's mission 
is only growing. The Coast Guard faces unprecedented environmental and 
geopolitical challenges.
  Due to the increasing threat of climate change, men and women of the 
Coast Guard must respond to increasing and frequent severe weather 
disasters. In the Arctic, where melting ice sheets provide new 
opportunities for shipping and tourism and transportation, it is very 
important that the Coast Guard play a major role in making sure that we 
know how and have the capacity for the United States to lead in 
icebreaking capacity through the Arctic.
  Admiral Fagan assumed the role of Vice Commandant in June of 2021, 
and she led the largest modernization and shipbuilding effort of the 
Coast Guard fleet since World War II.

  But I want people from the Northwest to know she started her career 
on the Polar Star, a 399-foot icebreaker homeported in Seattle. During 
her career, she served on all seven continents.
  She has held numerous leadership positions, including more than 15 
years as a marine inspector and commander for Sector New York, 
commander for Coast Guard District 1 where she led all Coast Guard 
operations in New England, and Commander of the Pacific Area in charge 
of Coast Guard operations across the entire Pacific.
  She has an impressive science background, with a bachelor's degree in 
marine science from the Coast Guard Academy and two master's degrees--
one of which is from the University of Washington--in marine affairs.
  In addition to her extraordinary qualifications, Admiral Fagan will 
be the first woman and mother to lead the Coast Guard. She will also be 
the first woman to lead any branch of our armed services.
  Now, more than ever, we must have a strong, tested leader as 
Commandant. It is clear from her record that Admiral Fagan is the right 
woman to do her job.
  I look forward to working with her to ensure the men and women of the 
Coast Guard have the tools they need to execute their mission and 
support their families. And it means continuing to make investments on 
shore infrastructure, aircraft, and, as I mentioned earlier, our polar 
icebreakers.
  But just as we have fought hard to work with the Coast Guard and 
their people, it is time to work with Commandant Fagan to continue the 
hard work to expand paid family leave policies, to improve access to 
childcare, to champion efforts to retain women and underrepresented 
minorities serving in the Coast Guard.
  Recently, we helped secure $429 million for the Coast Guard 
infrastructure in the infrastructure bill and $120 million of that 
investment will go to construction of onsite childcare facilities.
  As our working mothers and working daughters serve in the Coast 
Guard, Admiral Fagan knows the realities of a

[[Page S2445]]

Coast Guard family. She knows that with 40 percent of the Coast Guard 
being women, we need to have good policies that will continue to 
encourage them to stay in the Coast Guard and move up in leadership, 
just as she has done. I know under her, we will build world-class, 
state-of-the-art facilities to help all our Coasties and all our Coast 
families. I know that we will continue to be proud of the mission of 
the Coast Guard in continuing to have those many, many challenges that 
they help us deal with every single day.
  But tonight, we are doing more than just helping. We are confirming 
Admiral Fagan. We are sending a strong message to women serving in the 
Coast Guard. We are sending a strong message to women cadets and the 
Academy and training people at Cape May. We are sending a strong 
message to young girls who dream of someday serving in the Coast Guard. 
We are saying now, that the leader of this organization, that your 
service matters, your contribution to the Coast Guard and to the 
country matters, and, yes, you too can be Commandant someday.
  I want to thank Admiral Fagan for her tremendous service, and I thank 
my colleagues for joining me tonight to vote to confirm Admiral Linda 
Fagan to be Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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