[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5222]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       NOMINATION OF ELAINE DUKE

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today in support of Elaine Duke's 
nomination to be the seventh Deputy Secretary for the Department of 
Homeland Security.
  The Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary serves as the 
chief operating officer of the Federal Government's third largest 
agency. The Deputy Secretary manages 240,000 men and women responsible 
for securing our borders and aviation system, enforcing immigration 
laws, defending cyberspace, preparing for disasters, assisting in 
counterterrorism efforts, and preventing terrorist attacks. In short, 
the Deputy Secretary is critically important to our homeland security.
  On March 15, Ms. Duke was approved by the Senate Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs by a voice vote. She has 
overwhelming bipartisan support.
  I want to remind everyone of Ms. Duke's qualifications and, 
particularly, of her dedication to public service through both 
Republican and Democratic administrations. Ms. Duke is no stranger to 
this body. In 2008, she was confirmed by a voice vote to be the 
Department's Under Secretary for Management. As a testament to her 
character and dedication, she was asked by President Obama to stay on 
when he came into office. She served in the Obama administration for a 
year and a half before retiring from Federal service. In total, Ms. 
Duke has been a public servant for 28 years.
  It is also noteworthy that Ms. Duke has been endorsed by at least the 
last five Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretaries, from both 
Democratic and Republican administrations. This is what they had to say 
about her:

       For this job, the Nation needs someone with impeccable 
     integrity, strong management and leadership skills and 
     experience in protecting the safety, security, and resilience 
     of our Nation. This person must be able to collaborate 
     routinely . . . and ensure that every Congressionally-
     appropriated dollar is well and wisely spent.
       Together, we respectfully attest that Elaine is 
     extraordinarily well qualified to serve in the position for 
     which she has now been nominated. Elaine knows DHS. She has 
     been a senior leader at DHS under two presidents. She sets an 
     unwavering standard of excellence for all who consider 
     themselves committed to public service.

  As chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee, I worked hard to move 30 of President Obama's nominees 
through the committee on a bipartisan basis. I am pleased that we will 
be sending to DHS a career public servant whose experience and 
management skills will immediately assist Secretary Kelly and the 
mission of the Department to defend our homeland.
  For the sake of our national and homeland security, I encourage my 
colleagues to support Ms. Duke's nomination to be the next Deputy 
Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.

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