[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S7136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 870--HONORING THE LIFE AND THE LEGACY OF SECRETARY 
                               ASH CARTER

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
Kaine, Ms. Warren, Mr. Peters, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
King, and Mr. Manchin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 870

       Whereas Ashton ``Ash'' Baldwin Carter (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``Secretary Carter'') was born on September 24, 
     1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to William Carter, Jr., 
     and Anne Carter (nee Baldwin);
       Whereas Secretary Carter received dual bachelor's degrees 
     in physics and medieval history at Yale College, summa cum 
     laude, and a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford 
     University as a Rhodes Scholar;
       Whereas Secretary Carter first entered public service in 
     1981, serving in the Program Analysis and Evaluation Office 
     of the Department of Defense;
       Whereas, from 1993 to 1996, Secretary Carter served as 
     Assistant Secretary of Defense (Nuclear Security and 
     Counterproliferation) and Assistant Secretary of Defense 
     (International Security Policy) under President William J. 
     Clinton, during which Secretary Carter oversaw the Nunn-Lugar 
     Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which was responsible 
     for the securing and dismantling of weapons of mass 
     destruction in the former states of the Soviet Union, 
     including the removal of nuclear weapons from Ukraine, 
     Kazakhstan, and Belarus;
       Whereas, from 2009 to 2011, Secretary Carter served as 
     Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and 
     Logistics under President Barack H. Obama, during which he 
     led critical procurement and acquisition initiatives, such as 
     the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected family of vehicles, 
     saving the lives of countless service members;
       Whereas, from 2011 to 2013, Secretary Carter served as 
     Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Barack H. Obama, 
     during which he oversaw the management and personnel of the 
     Department of Defense and steered defense strategy and budget 
     through sequestration;
       Whereas, from 2015 to 2017, Secretary Carter served as the 
     25th Secretary of Defense under President Barack H. Obama, 
     and he was revered for his leadership on gender equity and 
     the reinvigoration of United States technology in the defense 
     sector;
       Whereas Secretary Carter charted a strategic path for the 
     Department of Defense to meet the China challenge by 
     continuing to rebalance the defense presence and security 
     cooperation of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region;
       Whereas Secretary Carter played a leading role in the 
     United States-led global coalition against the Islamic State 
     of Iraq and the Levant, which led to the liberation of 
     strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, and the 
     territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria;
       Whereas Secretary Carter's focus on innovation led to the 
     creation of the Defense Innovation Unit, the goal of which is 
     to bring the rapid advancement in commercial technologies to 
     the Department of Defense;
       Whereas, under the direction of Secretary Carter, the 
     Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded mRNA 
     research, later contributing to the development of critical 
     COVID-19 vaccines, saving millions of lives in the United 
     States and abroad;
       Whereas, under the direction of Secretary Carter, the 
     Department of Defense opened all military roles to women, 
     increased critical paid military maternity leave, and 
     permitted transgender service members to join and serve 
     openly;
       Whereas Secretary Carter authored and co-authored 11 books 
     and more than 100 articles on physics, technology, national 
     security, and management;
       Whereas, after Secretary Carter's tenure as Secretary of 
     Defense ended, his dedication to public service continued as 
     the Director of the Belfer Center for Science and 
     International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of 
     Government at Harvard University, where he mentored the next 
     generation of national security leaders;
       Whereas Secretary Carter was a 5-time recipient of the 
     Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, was 
     a 2-time recipient of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
     Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, and 
     received numerous other awards and decorations for public 
     service;
       Whereas Secretary Carter was known to all as a devoted 
     public servant who was resilient in the face of adversity;
       Whereas, on October 24, 2022, at the age of 68, Secretary 
     Carter died due to a sudden cardiac event and is survived by 
     his wife, Stephanie, his son, Will, his daughter, Ava, and 
     his sisters, Corinne and Cynthia; and
       Whereas Secretary Carter will be remembered as a committed 
     teacher, a loving father, a devoted husband, and a loyal 
     friend: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate--
       (A) expresses its deepest sympathy to the family members of 
     the late Secretary Ashton B. Carter;
       (B) honors the outstanding life and legacy of Secretary 
     Ashton B. Carter; and
       (C) commends Secretary Ashton B. Carter for his life 
     accomplishments within the United States Government; and
       (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands adjourned as 
     a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Secretary 
     Ashton B. Carter.

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