[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3198-S3199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Vote on Marks Nomination

  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the 
nominee.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question 
is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Marks nomination?
  Mr. BENNET. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Ossoff) is 
necessarily absent.
  The result was announced--yeas 72, nays 26, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 287 Ex.]

                                YEAS--72

     Baldwin
     Banks
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Boozman
     Britt
     Budd
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Coons
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Curtis
     Daines
     Duckworth
     Ernst
     Fetterman
     Fischer
     Gallego
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hagerty
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Husted
     Hyde-Smith
     Johnson
     Justice
     Kaine
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     Kim
     King
     Klobuchar
     Lankford
     Lee
     Lummis
     Marshall
     McConnell
     McCormick
     Moody
     Moran
     Moreno
     Mullin
     Murkowski
     Paul
     Reed
     Ricketts
     Risch
     Rosen
     Rounds
     Schiff
     Schmitt
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shaheen
     Sheehy
     Slotkin
     Thune
     Tillis
     Tuberville
     Warner
     Warnock
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--26

     Alsobrooks
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Blunt Rochester
     Booker
     Cantwell
     Durbin
     Gillibrand
     Heinrich
     Hickenlooper
     Lujan
     Markey
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Padilla
     Peters
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Smith
     Van Hollen
     Warren
     Welch
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Ossoff
     Sullivan
       
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). Under the previous order, the 
motion to reconsider is considered made

[[Page S3199]]

and laid upon the table, and the President will be immediately notified 
of Senate's action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.


                   250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I rise this evening to recognize and 
celebrate the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. Army. I 
would yield to the Senator from Rhode Island, my colleague but the 
cochair of the Senate Army Caucus, Senator Reed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague and friend in 
Kansas for his partnership in recognizing the Army as the coleaders of 
the Army Caucus here in the U.S. Senate.
  Thank you, Senator, very much.
  Mr. President, I rise, along with my colleague from Kansas, to 
recognize a remarkable moment in our Nation's history. On June 14, 
1775, delegates from each of the American Colonies met in Philadelphia 
to convene the Second Continental Congress.
  On that momentous day, Congress voted to establish the Continental 
Army and tasked it to ``provide for the common defense of these 
colonies.''
  The following day, the Congress unanimously elected George Washington 
to be the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. It was an 
auspicious start for what would become the greatest fighting force the 
world has ever known.
  Today--or in a few days, certainly--we celebrate the 250th birthday 
of the U.S. Army.
  The Army has a straightforward, but enormously critical, mission: to 
fight and win the Nation's wars. Today, we take a moment to reflect on 
that mission and to honor all of the soldiers who have served 
faithfully in the Army ranks. Whether as volunteers or in response to a 
draft, millions and millions of men and women have answered the call to 
serve. They each swore an oath to the Constitution, a unique feature of 
service to our Nation. By swearing an oath to the Constitution and its 
ideals, rather than a leader or a party, American soldiers stand apart 
as patriots, not partisans. And our Nation stands proudly throughout 
the world.
  American soldiers have served on their own soil to break the bonds of 
tyranny and to keep our Nation united. They have served on foreign 
soils to defend our allies, uphold humanity, and protect the American 
people. And they have stepped forward to help in humanitarian crises 
and natural disasters at home and around the world when needed most.
  It is also fitting to acknowledge the contribution of the Department 
of Army civilians, who take the same oath and who bring their skills 
and dedication to bear in support of the Army's mission.
  And, of course, we also pause to thank all of the families who, over 
the course of 2\1/2\ centuries have stood by their loved ones in their 
service--families who supported their soldiers in the earliest days 
with little or no communication to today, where family witness in real 
time the challenges their loved ones face. Families have and always 
will be the true strength of our Army.
  The Army's story also is not just one of battles won, but of values 
upheld, values of leadership, respect, selfless service, integrity, and 
personal courage--and a value that resonates deeply with me: duty, 
honor, country.
  Finally, we pay tribute to those who gave the last full measure of 
devotion in service to our Nation. Their sacrifice is woven into the 
very fabric of our history, and their legacy lives on in every soldier 
who raises their right hand and takes the oath.
  For me personally, the opportunity to serve as an officer in the U.S. 
Army and to lead American soldiers was the greatest privilege of my 
life.
  I would end by recalling the enduring motto of the Continental Army:

       This we'll defend.

  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Rhode Island, my 
colleague and friend Senator Reed, for cochairing. I am the new one to 
this duo, and I consider it a privilege as a U.S. Senator to serve side 
by side with Senator Reed as we work together to promote and support 
the U.S. Army and those who serve in it.
  I also would highlight and honor my respect of Senator Jim Inhofe, 
the Senator of Oklahoma whom I replaced in this capacity after his long 
tenure with Senator Reed in serving in this capacity to support and 
defend the Army of the United States.
  As Senator Reed said, 250 years ago--that is the birthday we are 
celebrating--on June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress 
authorized what would become the most capable and lethal ground force 
the world has ever known--the U.S. Army. The creation of General George 
Washington's Army coincides with the adoption of the Declaration of 
Independence.
  Since our Nation gained its independence, our Army has faithfully 
defended our freedoms. The Warrior Ethos of the Army states:

       I will always place the mission first.

  This is a calling that American soldiers have answered time and time 
again without regard to their personal safety, security, or comfort.
  My State of Kansas is home to Fort Riley and the 1st Infantry 
Division, Fort Leavenworth, as well as the Kansas Army National Guard. 
The men and women who serve in these bases are some of the finest 
individuals I have ever met, living their lives in accordance with the 
mission on the Army flag: ``This We'll Defend.'' This short statement 
is a commitment to defending this Nation, all Americans, and the values 
we hold dear.
  The embodiment of what it means to be an American soldier is 
symbolized in the Army's values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless 
service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Over the years, the 
servicemembers of the Army have lived up to these ideals, putting their 
country and fellow citizens above themselves. No matter how daunting 
the conflict, American soldiers will always carry out the mission 
entrusted to them. Today, we recognize this valor and celebrate the 
patriotism that motivates these brave men and women who dedicate their 
lives to defend the land that they and we love.
  The U.S. Army is the largest branch of the U.S. military, with nearly 
450,000 Active-Duty personnel and nearly 500,000 in the Reserves.
  As we mark the 250 years of the U.S. Army, we express our gratitude 
to these servicemembers and their loved ones who support them. For two 
and a half centuries--250 years--the American soldiers have stood 
strong in the face of conflict.
  I am committed to continue supporting our Army so that it remains the 
strongest lethal force in the world for another 250 years. I hope my 
colleagues will join me and Senator Reed in honoring our soldiers and 
supporting a resolution to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
  Today, in this effort, we are reminded to say to those who serve, 
have served, and will serve, we tell them--those who served and have 
served and will serve in the U.S. Army--we say to them that we respect 
you; we love you; we thank you for your service.
  I yield the floor and thank you for the opportunity for making my 
remarks.

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