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Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, over the next couple of days, the Senate will consider two more of the President's nominees: Kristi Noem to be Secretary of Homeland Security and Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense.

A former House Member and current Governor of the great State of South Dakota, Kristi brings both experience and commitment to her new role.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security right now is securing our Nation's border. Four years of recordbreaking illegal immigration at our southern border has left our country vulnerable to a whole host of security concerns, from terrorist entries to cross-border criminal activity, like drug trafficking.

Fixing this crisis and restoring respect for the rule of law is one of President Trump and Republicans' top priorities, and it is going to require a decisive and committed leader at the Department of Homeland Security. I believe Kristi has everything it takes to undertake this task.

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