[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 92 (Thursday, May 26, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination Of Marcia Bernicat

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise in support of Marcia Bernicat to 
be the Director General of the foreign service at the U.S. Department 
of State. Our foreign service must have a leader that knows how to 
tackle the challenges of the 21st century. We need someone that 
understands the importance of modernizing the State Department 
workforce. We need someone who will prioritize diversity, equity, 
inclusion, and accessibility to reflect our Nation's wide range of 
backgrounds. Ambassador Bernicat is that person. She is an experienced 
career member of the Senior Foreign Service who has a deep 
understanding of the inner-workings of the Department and valuable 
overseas experience. She has served as Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea 
Bissau and as Ambassador to Bangladesh. Both times before, this body 
confirmed her by voice vote.
  While serving as Ambassador to Bangladesh, she survived a terrorist 
attack on her motorcade, an experience that strengthened her resolve to 
keep Foreign Service Officers safe while serving abroad. She has also 
worked as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human 
Resources. She speaks French, Hindi, and Russian and is a recipient of 
the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award. She has a 
master's degree in the science in foreign service at Georgetown 
University and a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College. As a former 
Deputy Assistant Secretary working on human resources, she understands 
the personnel challenges facing the Department. Last but not least, 
Ambassador Bernicat was born in the great State of New Jersey.
  In short, Ambassador Bernicat is without a doubt the right person for 
this position. It is unacceptable that someone as qualified as her has 
been languishing on the Senate floor for more than 7 months. Her 
nomination comes at a critical time as the Department needs leadership 
that will address key issues like attrition, training, morale, and 
mental health. We need our best people in position to ensure we are 
recruiting, retaining, promoting, and training the next generation of 
leaders. It is long past time to confirm Ambassador Bernicat.
  I enthusiastically support Ambassador Bernicat, and I respectfully 
urge my colleagues to join me in confirming her immediately.