[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 58 (Thursday, March 30, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1066-S1069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      VETERANS' COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2023

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, Montanans proudly serve in our Armed 
Forces at one of the highest rates in the Nation. These veterans put 
their lives on the line to defend our freedoms every day. Their 
families make sacrifices too. These veterans and their survivors, who 
depend on VA benefits, deserve certainty when it comes to providing for 
their families.
  As chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am proud to 
have introduced bipartisan legislation with my good friend Jerry Moran 
to ensure that these benefits are keeping pace with the cost of living. 
This bill, the Veterans' Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, is legislation 
that must pass.
  Each year, millions of disabled veterans, surviving spouses, and 
their children rely on tax-free compensation for disabilities sustained 
during their military service. This income helps cover groceries and 
prescription medications, rent and electrical bills. It also helps 
veterans replace clothing damaged by their prosthetic or orthopedic 
devices.
  Our bill directs the VA to increase veterans' compensation so that 
folks across the country--including 30,000 veterans in Montana and 
survivors--get the support they need to stay afloat. At a time when 
many Montanans are struggling with rising costs, from housing, to 
healthcare, to groceries, this cost-of-living increase will help give 
our veterans a little more peace of mind.
  Today, we have the opportunity to put political differences aside and 
come together for the men and women who risk their lives for this 
country. Let's pass this bill.
  With that, I will turn it over to my friend Senator Jerry Moran.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I rise today to join the chairman of the 
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs in asking that the Senate pass 
the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment--COLA--Act of 
2023.
  This is not the first time we have done this. This is an annual 
occurrence, and it is good to be back and suggesting to my colleagues 
that this nonpartisan bill--that we once again come together to pass it 
this year, 2023.
  This legislation makes certain that the VA's compensation benefits, 
which millions of veterans--thousands of Kansans--receive and which 
their survivors rely on, keep pace with Social Security and are 
adjusted to match the Consumer Price Index.
  As we enter another year of crushing inflation--as we unfortunately 
enter another year of crushing inflation--this commonsense legislation 
is necessary so that veterans and survivors are able to keep pace with 
rising costs, make ends meet, and continue to receive the support they 
have earned and deserve.
  Yesterday, March 29, was National Vietnam War Veterans Day and the 
50th anniversary of the last combat troops leaving Vietnam. This is an 
opportune time for us as a Senate, us as a Congress, us as a country to 
once again commit to making certain that veterans and their survivors 
receive the due support, the due respect, and the due recognition they 
deserve.
  I want to take a moment to address a concern that veterans have 
brought to me regarding a December 22 report from the Congressional 
Budget Office and a proposal that was put forth to means test veterans' 
disability benefits. I do not support this idea, nor am I aware of any 
Member of Congress who is pursuing that idea, but it is running around 
on social media. If we can assure our veterans that is not a 
likelihood, that is a valuable thing to do and provide them some 
certainty and eliminate some fear they and their families may have.
  Let me assure veterans and their loved ones right now I would oppose 
any legislation to enact that proposal.
  As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I 
know it is our responsibility not only in our committee but within this 
Senate Chamber to take care of our veterans--many of whom rely upon the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for financial support. This bill once 
again this year will help do that. I appreciate the cooperation from 
the chairman of the committee.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lujan). The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. TESTER. Senator Moran, I appreciate your comments on means 
testing. It is absolutely a nonstarter. That information is revolving 
around on the Hill, and it is best to nip it in the bud, so thank you 
for that.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. 777.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 777) to increase, effective as of December 1, 
     2023, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-
     connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and 
     indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled 
     veterans, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. TESTER. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third 
time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and 
laid upon table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 777) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 777

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-
     of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023'' or the ``Veterans' COLA 
     Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND 
                   DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

       (a) Rate Adjustment.--Effective on December 1, 2023, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in accordance 
     with subsection (c), the dollar amounts in effect on November 
     30, 2023, for the payment of disability compensation and 
     dependency and indemnity compensation under the provisions 
     specified in subsection (b).
       (b) Amounts To Be Increased.--The dollar amounts to be 
     increased pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:
       (1) Wartime disability compensation.--Each of the dollar 
     amounts under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.
       (2) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
     dollar amounts under section 1115(1) of such title.
       (3) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount under section 
     1162 of such title.
       (4) Dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving 
     spouse.--Each of the dollar amounts under subsections (a) 
     through (d) of section 1311 of such title.
       (5) Dependency and indemnity compensation to children.--
     Each of the dollar amounts under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of 
     such title.
       (c) Determination of Increase.--Each dollar amount 
     described in subsection (b) shall be increased by the same 
     percentage as the percentage by which benefit amounts payable 
     under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et 
     seq.) are increased effective December 1, 2023, as a result 
     of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 415(i)).
       (d) Special Rule.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     adjust administratively, consistent with the increases made 
     under subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation 
     payable to persons under section 10 of Public Law 85-857 (72 
     Stat. 1263) who have not received compensation under chapter 
     11 of title 38, United States Code.

     SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the 
     Federal Register the amounts specified in section 2(b), as 
     increased under that section, not later than the date on 
     which the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to 
     be published by reason of a determination made under section 
     215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 2024.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, the Senate has just come together to do 
our job by Passing the Veterans' COLA Act. We would now urge our House 
colleagues to quickly follow suit. Let's continue to show our fighting 
men and women that when you get sent off to war, it is with the promise 
that you will be cared for when you return home, not through words but 
by action.

[[Page S1067]]

  With that, 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.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                        National Defense Budget

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss, 
again, a key constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. The 
Constitution lays this weighty task at the feet of Congress. We hold 
the purse strings, and today our task is to provide for sustained 
growth in the capacity and capability of our Armed Forces. For 30 
years, we have lived off the military investments of the eighties and 
these investments have kept China and Russia and others from attacking 
us. They have kept us safe.
  Today, those investments have largely expired, and both Beijing and 
Moscow are acting increasingly adversarial. In particular, China's 
military is growing so quickly that we will not long deter them unless 
we invest more in our military too. It will cost a lot to deter 
Beijing, but it will cost a lot more if we do not.
  In February, I delivered a speech on our most dire national security 
challenge: preventing the Chinese aggression against Taiwan. Defending 
our security and prosperity means defending Taiwan. If the island 
falls, the global balance of power tilts for decades. Our children and 
grandchildren would then not live in an American-led 21st century.
  Today, I will focus on the Chinese Communist Party's rapid military 
buildup and the U.S. ability to boost our military capability. I will 
show how both demand sustained real growth in our defense budget 
alongside increased reform and prioritization. Inexplicably, in the 
face of these facts, the President has proposed another military cut. 
Twice now, he has proposed cuts and twice Congress has replied with an 
emphatic and bipartisan no. Instead, Congress has added, over the last 
2 fiscal years, $70 billion of targeted investments to our military to 
help us catch up with China. I am confident, on a bipartisan basis, 
again, we will do this for the next fiscal year.
  Let's begin by outlining the rising threat of the Chinese Communist 
Party. As Congress considers this year's military spending commitments, 
we need to consider what we are up against. The U.S. military 
investment must counter Chinese military investment. If we do not, 
history may one day bestow on our moment--on this time--the ignominious 
title of a ``prewar period.'' I hope we are not in a prewar period. If 
we are prepared, there is a much greater chance that we can avoid a war 
in the future.
  We know China intends to dominate the Pacific. They boast about it in 
public speeches, and they are building a military capable of turning 
their rhetoric into reality. We have debated what year we should be 
worried about. Some say 2023, 2025, 2027; some say 2035. Secretary 
Blinken says China wants to seize Taiwan on a much faster timeline than 
we have previously thought. The 2027 date, what some call the Davidson 
window, is based on Xi Jinping's orders to his military about when he 
expects them to be ready. We would all do well to remember that 
dictators start wars of aggression before their militaries are ready. 
Look no further than Germany and Japan in World War II and look at 
Putin's Russia today. If Putin's invasion of Ukraine taught us 
anything, it is that the plans of dictators are often driven as much by 
delusions of grandeur as by honest assessments of relative military 
capabilities. This is what makes the next few years so dangerous.
  Last year, Xi Jinping fully consolidated his control over the Chinese 
Communist Party, beginning a historic third term which lasted through 
2028 with very few restraints on his power, and it shows. As the 
People's Liberation Army grows more capable and the Chinese Communist 
Party faces growing domestic turmoil, Beijing may soon decide that its 
power is peaking. That may prompt them to act sooner rather than later.
  China is certainly signaling a sinister intent. Last August, they 
concluded unprecedented military drills around Taiwan's most trafficked 
waterways and flight routes. They did so arguably to project strength 
in response to Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, when she was then 
Speaker of the House. They build replicas of U.S. Navy ships, aircraft, 
and air defense systems, and they regularly practice striking these 
replicas.
  Their military buildup is the strongest signal of their intent to 
dominate the Pacific. I, along with many other Senators, have seen the 
sobering classified reports, but the public picture is grim enough. The 
Chinese Communist Party just announced the expansion of its defense 
budget by 7.2 percent for this year, about six times the increase the 
Biden administration proposed. Beijing has increased its military 
spending every year for more than 20 years, and we know that they 
actually hide many portions of their defense budget. By simply looking 
at Beijing's quantitative and qualitative improvements, we see that 
Beijing spends freely on its military.
  China has expanded its nuclear forces faster than anyone thought 
possible. Already, they have more ground-based nuclear weapon launchers 
than we do. This changes our entire nuclear readiness calculus. For 
seven decades, we focused on matching the Russian nuclear arsenal. But 
we experienced a new Sputnik moment when we watched the Chinese 
hypersonic glide vehicle perform maneuvers we had never contemplated.
  China has also rapidly expanded its conventional sea, air, and rocket 
forces.
  Their Navy outnumbers ours. They will have more than 460 ships by 
2030. U.S. naval intelligence indicates these ships may already be as 
high quality as our own. Yet our senior Navy leadership continues to 
underestimate Chinese capabilities. China's civilian fleet is expanding 
also, and the People's Liberation Army has used it in mock amphibious 
invasions--the civilian fleet.
  The Chinese Air Force has shed its third-generation, Vietnam-era 
fighters and built an impressive fourth-generation fighter force. They 
are building fifth-generation fighters at scale today, just like we 
are. And their air-to-air missiles have greater range than U.S. 
missiles. China's air warfare training has advanced beyond anything we 
thought possible 5 years ago.
  The Chinese rocket force points thousands of short-range ballistic 
missiles at Taiwan and hundreds of long-range missiles at U.S. bases in 
Japan, Guam, and elsewhere.
  China has not restricted its advances to traditional military domains 
either. It is a major player on the cyber battlefield. Top U.S. cyber 
commander, General Nakasone, says the increase in Chinese cyber warfare 
capabilities has been unlike anything he has ever seen--unlike anything 
General Nakasone has ever seen. Earlier this year, our top nonmilitary 
cyber official told us the Chinese would combine an attack on Taiwan, 
if that occurs, with broad attacks on U.S. cyber infrastructure. And 
that certainly makes sense.
  Beijing has also overtaken Russia in space. Russia is now the junior 
partner to communist China, not only in space communications and 
intelligence satellites, but also in space warfighting capabilities.
  Finally, China is building a multinational syndicate of bad actor 
nations. Beijing envisions itself as the central character in an anti-
U.S. coalition that includes junior partner Russia as well as North 
Korea. Xi Jinping took a significant step in that direction last week 
when he visited Vladimir Putin, a man he has described as his ``best, 
most intimate friend.'' As China's military rises, regrettably, the 
U.S. military treads water.
  I will identify five areas of improvement to help our military catch 
China.
  First, we have not focused nearly enough on honing our capabilities 
in a set of key areas we need to win. Our efforts to build a series of 
modern and flexible command-and-control networks are just now gaining 
steam. We still possess no relevant mine warfare capabilities. After 
three decades of neglect, we are just beginning to rebuild core 
competencies in electronic warfare. We have finally begun to build the 
right bases in the right locations in the Western Pacific. We have 
Senators Reed and Inhofe, the authors of last year's NDAA, to thank for 
that. I issue my thanks to this bipartisan team.

[[Page S1068]]

  Our munitions industrial base is in woeful shape, and we have only 
begun to scratch the surface of our production capacity. I am pleased 
to see the Pentagon moving in the right direction, but it remains clear 
to me that Congress can take additional actions--should take additional 
actions this year to accelerate and expand production.
  Secondly, we should rapidly work to expand our naval fleet. As I 
said, China's fleet has eclipsed ours, and yet the Department of 
Defense proposes ship decommissionings. The Marine Corps was unable to 
assist victims of the earthquakes in Turkey just a few months ago 
because the Navy lacked enough amphibious ships. Yet President Biden's 
budget proposes to end an entire amphibious ship production line--an 
entire production line. I do not believe this Congress will allow that 
to happen.
  Our Navy Secretary recently noted that one Chinese shipyard--one 
Chinese shipyard--has more capacity than all of ours combined. For many 
years, we tried to wring more efficiency out of our shipbuilding 
industrial base, and for many years we have largely failed. Without a 
massive change in direction and an infusion of funds, we are unlikely 
to grow the fleet beyond 300 ships over the next decade. I would remind 
my colleagues that the statutory minimum requirement enacted by this 
Congress and signed by the President of the United States is 355 ships 
at a minimum. It is time for the U.S. Congress to lead the Nation in 
expanding the shipbuilding industrial base.
  Third, our Reagan-era Air Force fleets grow older. For years, we have 
known we need to purchase 72 tactical aircraft each year to have a 
healthy fleet--72 each year. For years, we failed to do so. Our next-
generation fighters are still nearly a decade away, as are significant 
numbers of autonomous wingmen for them. And the Air Force remains 
almost 2,000 pilots short this year.
  Fourth, we are on the leading edge of a recruitment crisis. By the 
end of this year, the Army could be 40,000 soldiers smaller than it was 
just 18 months ago--40,000 soldiers short. Even as its missions 
continue to increase, the Navy and Air Force are not far behind. The 
recruiting crisis is a complex problem that will require a multifaceted 
solution. We had the Chief of Staff of the Army before the Armed 
Services Committee, along with the Secretary of the Army, just this 
morning to discuss this and other important issues. However, the budget 
can, right away, provide one solution. We should set aside funds for 
barracks and facility improvements. Potential recruits have frequently 
cited poor living conditions as one reason not to enlist.
  Fifth, we must boost our defense infrastructure. Almost 2 years ago, 
I led an amendment on the infrastructure bill--not the Defense bill, 
the infrastructure bill--along with Senators Shelby and Inhofe, that 
would have devoted $50 billion to begin boosting this foundational 
infrastructure.
  We never got a vote. Unfortunately, that amendment was blocked. Our 
shipyards, military family housing, hypersonic test ranges, ammo 
plants, and other sites are key in enabling our military to be ready 
and capable.
  Perhaps such an amendment would pass today with broad bipartisan 
support. The facts certainly call for it.
  And, finally, we must link increased investment with accelerated 
reform in the Pentagon. The Department of Defense's audit championed by 
former Deputy Secretary David Norquist progressed more in the last 5 
years than in the last 25 years before that.
  The Marines may become the first service to earn a clean financial 
bill of health this year. That is good news.
  Deputy Secretary Hicks has also embraced and accelerated efforts 
begun by Deputy Secretary Norquist to bring 21st century data-driven 
management practices to DOD. This work has already saved us tens of 
billions of dollars.
  Congress will continue to lead and partner with the Pentagon in 
ongoing and new reform efforts. This year, experts with the Pentagon 
budgeting commission will help Congress to innovate more quickly and 
improve the relationship between Congress and the Department of 
Defense.
  I also believe the Office of Strategic Capital will help us partner 
with American private capital. American capital is an advantage we 
have. Yet we do not leverage it often enough in the national security 
space. The Office of Strategic Capital can help diversify our defense 
industrial base to compete with the People's Republic of China in a 
cost-effective manner.
  Cost-saving measures, though necessary, will not be enough. 
Counterintuitively, many reforms cost money up front. Senator Inhofe, 
my predecessor, as ranking member of the committee, was correct when he 
said: We cannot spend our way out of the challenges we face, but we can 
spend too little to give ourselves a chance.
  The United States has not faced national security challenges of this 
scale, scope, and complexity since World War II. This moment is a fork 
in the road. Neither the peace we have enjoyed nor the war some predict 
are inevitable. Decisions we make will determine whether that occurs.
  Effective deterrence will be a complex operation, but its starting 
place is simple: We must, once again, for the third year, increase the 
military budget.
  And, as we grow the budget, we will save where we can, prioritize the 
most effective purchases, and share the load with our allies and 
partners and insist that they do their share.
  Again, it would cost a lot to deter China, but it will cost a lot 
more if we do not.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.


                         The Republic of Yemen

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, 5 years ago, I stood in this Chamber and 
condemned the Saudi military campaign in Yemen. Today, I rise once 
again to condemn the egregious violence that continues to haunt the 
Yemeni people.
  Last weekend marked the 8-year anniversary of the start of the 
conflict--8 years of families being torn apart by war; 8 years of 
children going without access to food, healthcare, and quality 
education; 8 years of destruction that has caused one of the greatest 
humanitarian crises since World War II.
  The Republic of Yemen has been torn apart by multiple armed 
conflicts, and, as a result, the Yemeni people have been caught in 
between an internal power struggle as well as a regional proxy 
conflict. Saudi Arabia has taken advantage of Yemen's domestic strife 
and led a military campaign that has only heightened the conflict and 
caused further destruction.
  The previous conflicts, along with the current war, have collectively 
eroded central governance in Yemen and left more than 24 million of 
Yemen's 31 million citizens in dire need of assistance and protection.
  I am proud that Michigan is home to the largest Yemeni population 
outside of Yemen. The diaspora community is vibrant and has endured 
harms that no community should have to.
  The circumstances under which many have immigrated to the United 
States is truly devastating. It is estimated that there are roughly 4.5 
million displaced Yemenis as a result of this conflict, with a majority 
of those displaced still in Yemen. Those that remain continue to face 
food and housing insecurity, with over half of the total population 
requiring humanitarian assistance.
  We have failed the Yemeni people with our longstanding military 
support for the Saudi Arabian military coalition in Yemen, and I 
applaud--I applaud--President Biden's decision to end all U.S. support 
for offensive operations in Yemen. We must continue to build on this 
measure and ensure that the United States is in no way--in no way--
involved in the continuation of this war.
  The failure of warring parties to come to an agreement to extend the 
U.N.-backed truce demonstrates that this conflict is, unfortunately, 
far from over. The United States must continue to leverage all 
diplomatic tools available to assist in the peace process.
  As we enter into the ninth year of this conflict, I encourage all of 
my colleagues to reflect on the lives lost, the children who never got 
to grow up, and the communities that will never be the same. The Yemeni 
people have remained resilient in the face of extreme adversity, and it 
is our responsibility to ensure that we continue to be strong partners 
in providing aid and securing peace.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.

[[Page S1069]]

  



                           Student Loan Debt

  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, earlier this week, myself, Senator Cassidy, 
and Senator Cornyn, along with 35 of our Republican colleagues, 
introduced an effort to block President Biden's plan to transfer 
student loan debt onto the back of hard-working Americans. This 
includes ending the pause on student loan payments, which has been 
extended six times since the start of the pandemic.
  What might seem like a ``free pass'' in making payments on student 
loans is, actually, a scheme orchestrated by the Biden administration 
that could cost taxpayers an estimated $900 billion.
  Let's break it down: $400 billion to cancel student loan debt, $195 
billion to pause loan payments and interest accrued during the 
pandemic, and $200 billion to implement President Biden's loan 
repayment rule.
  Folks, $900 billion is more than the Federal Government has ever 
spent on higher education in our Nation's history. To give you some 
additional perspective, this radical proposal costs--get this, folks--
three times more than what the government will spend on Pell grants in 
this decade--in this decade--a program designed to help our neediest 
students.
  This is not debt cancellation. It is socialism.
  President Biden is rewarding those who chose the path of higher 
education by strapping their debt onto the backs of those who did not.
  This is a personal issue to me.
  My brother chose to enter the workforce directly out of high school. 
My brother is a hard-working union laborer.
  My sister worked to put herself through community college. She 
received an associate's degree in Southwest Iowa. She works for a 
trucking company and farms.
  Their stories are similar to many Iowans across my home State. Why 
should countless Americans who made responsible, financial planning 
decisions be forced to take on the debts of others?
  Biden's plan is unfair and unaffordable. It is fanning the flames of 
inflation and is a driving factor in our growing Federal debt. Most 
importantly, this transfer of student loan debt does nothing to address 
and may actually be contributing to the real issue of rising costs to 
attend college.
  What message does this send to veterans who pursue higher education 
through the GI bill or medical professionals who joined the National 
Health Service Corps?
  I was able to cover a portion of my college tuition at Iowa State 
University through an ROTC scholarship. Joining the Army after 
graduation was a privilege and an honor. I made a commitment to my 
country, and, in return, they made a commitment to me to help me 
receive my college degree.
  President Biden's radical proposal invalidates many other successful 
loan forgiveness and repayment programs designed to incentivize 
participation in critical fields, including the military, public 
service, and medicine.
  Instead of putting a bandaid on the problem and passing the buck, we 
should be giving students and their families a clear picture up front 
about the true costs associated with their education. That is why I am 
working in a bipartisan way to ensure that students know, before they 
take out a loan, the estimated total interest amount based on their 
repayment plan.
  Folks, we have warned for years that the left is on the march toward 
socialism. Look no further than Biden's student debt transfer plan.
  I am proud to join my Republican colleagues in working to stop this 
scheme.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.


                     Nomination of Richard R. Verma

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I am extremely pleased that the Senate 
will be voting shortly to confirm Ambassador Richard Verma to be the 
Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources at the 
Department of State. This role is one of the most critical positions at 
the Department of State.
  DMR, as it is known, has wide-ranging responsibility for overseeing 
personnel and ensuring the Department is sufficiently resourced to 
carry out effective U.S. diplomacy.
  And there are no shortages of challenges. As we reorient our foreign 
policy toward strategic competition with China, as we counter malign 
influence by Russia across the globe, as we work to address global 
health, food insecurity, and climate crisis, it is imperative that our 
diplomatic corps has the tools they need to address the challenges 
ahead.
  Ambassador Verma is superbly qualified to lead this part of the 
Department in confronting these challenges. His long public sector 
career, which includes service in the Air Force, the Senate, and the 
State Department, will help him be an effective leader who can advance 
the Department's modernization agenda.
  And as our first-ever Indian-American Ambassador to New Delhi, he has 
firsthand experience leading a major U.S. Embassy and a deep 
understanding of the strategic advantage of cultivating and retaining a 
diverse and expert workforce.
  I have full confidence that Ambassador Verma will be a constructive 
partner with Congress and work to make sure the Department has the 
support, the resources, and the leadership it needs to succeed.
  Given the challenges ahead, I am pleased that we are finally voting 
to confirm Ambassador Verma today, and I urge all of my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle to support this nomination.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________