[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 31, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5658-S5659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   Nomination of Dorothy Camille Shea

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, shortly we are going to be voting on the 
cloture motion for the confirmation of Dorothy Shea, the nominee for 
Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations.

[[Page S5659]]

  I come to the floor today as the chairman of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee. We have recommended to the Senate in a very strong 
bipartisan vote the support of Dorothy Shea to be the Deputy 
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations.
  We need a full team in place to fight for the interests of the United 
States and our allies at the United Nations; to counter adversaries 
like China and Russia; to work with our allies to respond to conflicts, 
from Ukraine to Sudan; to ensure that the United States is at the table 
for conversations on the role of technology and AI; and to stand up 
against anti-Semitism on the global stage. Yet our mission to the 
United Nations has been without a Senate-confirmed Deputy for nearly 2 
years.
  This post is not only crucial to managing the safety and security of 
U.S. and foreign personnel during U.N. meetings of heads of State in 
New York in September, the Deputy plays a key role in the policy 
planning process.
  At a time when strong U.S. leadership at the U.N. is so important, we 
need someone in this post who has experience tackling the complexities 
of the United Nations General Assembly; someone who will make sure the 
U.N. is positioned to take on the challenges of the future, including 
reforms; someone who will multiply our engagement in the Security 
Council and General Assembly, working alongside Ambassador Thomas-
Greenfield; someone who is not afraid to stand up for American values. 
That is why, as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I 
fully support Dorothy Shea's confirmation to this post.
  Ambassador Shea has decades of experience working in the Foreign 
Service, at the State Department, and with the National Security 
Council. She is a career senior Foreign Service officer who has proudly 
served both Democratic and Republican administrations for 32 years, 
including working for colleagues across the aisle on the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee.
  While she was our chief diplomat in Lebanon, Ambassador Shea was 
awarded the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award for sustained 
extraordinary accomplishment. Throughout her career, she has 
demonstrated her deep commitment and ability to advance U.S. interests.
  At a time of war and escalating humanitarian crises worldwide, we can 
count on Ambassador Shea to represent U.S. interests at the United 
Nations. From advancing the peace process in the Middle East and Sudan, 
to revitalizing the global humanitarian system, to implementing 
institutional reforms at the United Nations, she will work to find 
solutions to our global challenges.
  I strongly urge support for her nomination. I urge my colleagues to 
support the cloture on her nomination so that we can get a confirmed 
Deputy Representative of the United States of America to the United 
Nations.
  I yield the floor.


                 Nomination of Joseph F. Saporito, Jr.

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm 
Joseph Saporito to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of 
Pennsylvania.
  Born in Pittston, PA, Judge Saporito received his B.A. from Villanova 
University and his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. He then 
entered private practice in Pittston, where he represented clients in a 
wide variety of matters, including criminal defense, civil litigation, 
and commercial transactions. He tried more than 60 cases to verdict in 
which he was either sole counsel or chief counsel. In addition, he 
served as a part-time assistant public defender in the Luzerne County 
Office of the Public Defender and as a part-time law clerk in the 
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
  Since 2015, Judge Saporito has served as a magistrate judge for the 
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Wilkes-
Barre. He has served as the chief magistrate judge since February 2024. 
During his time on the bench, he has handled a wide range of civil and 
criminal matters at various stages of litigation, and he has presided 
over 16 civil trials, including 14 jury trials.
  Judge Saporito has deep ties to the Middle District of Pennsylvania. 
He enjoys the strong support of both of his home State Senators, Mr. 
Casey and Mr. Fetterman, and the American Bar Association unanimously 
rated him as ``well qualified'' to serve on the district court.
  Judge Saporito's extensive litigation background and his courtroom 
experience as both an advocate and magistrate judge ensure that he will 
continue to be an asset to the district court. I am proud to support 
his nomination, and I ask my colleagues to join me.