Nominations

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on another matter entirely, the Senate, this week, will continue confirming President Biden's Cabinet nominees, closing the book today on the nomination of Alexander Mayorkas to be the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Mr. Mayorkas's qualifications are unassailable. He is a 7-year veteran of the DHS and has already been confirmed by this Chamber three--three--times. Like most of President Biden's Cabinet nominees, his nomination is also history-making: He will be the first Latino and first immigrant to hold the top job at DHS. I look forward to confirming Mr. Mayorkas today.

We have a second outstanding nominee to confirm today as well--Pete Buttigieg for Secretary of Transportation. Mr. Buttigieg--known to many simply as Mayor Pete--has demonstrated an impressive familiarity with the entire Nation's transportation challenges--challenges that are pronounced in States like my own, where projects like the Gateway Tunnel are a top national priority.

I know that Mr. Buttigieg is committed to working with Members from both sides to improve rail and transit, highways, and more in rural communities, urban centers, and everywhere in between. I am excited to call him Secretary Pete by the end of the day and get to work with him immediately on helping the MTA--the Nation's largest transit network in the country--and moving Gateway forward after years of cynical obstruction by the Trump administration.

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