[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 127 (Thursday, July 24, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Richard Topping

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I want to speak just a moment before we 
cast a vote in just a few minutes. I want to speak about the importance 
of confirming the nomination of Army CPT Richard Topping to be the 
Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  I chair the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. We have had Mr. 
Topping before us, and he, as the Chief Financial Officer, if 
confirmed, is responsible for making certain the VA is a good steward 
of taxpayer dollars, that the VA has the resources to carry out the 
Department's mission of caring for our Nation's heroes and their loved 
ones.
  We must have a Chief Financial Officer who puts veterans first, 
prioritizes accountability and transparency, and understands the 
importance of this responsibility in helping the Department of Veterans 
Affairs fulfill its mission.
  Captain Topping was raised in a military family and served in the 
U.S. Army, so he is a veteran. In his testimony before the committee, 
he shared about the important role the VA played in his life, from 
caring for his sister who become ill while serving in Iraq to enabling 
his grandfathers, both World War II veterans, to receive a college 
education through the GI bill.
  He also discussed the importance of using his experience as a 
servicemember and a veteran to advocate to enhance the VA's financial 
systems to make certain taxpayer dollars are used effectively and 
transparently and to improve budget forecasting and management, all of 
which are critical to the Department's success.
  I am grateful to Captain Topping for his willingness to continue 
serving his fellow veterans in this new capacity, and I look forward to 
working with him to improve the lives of veterans, caregivers, 
survivors, and military families in my home State of Kansas and across 
the country in the coming years. I will be voting yea.