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Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Madam President, my friend from the State of Oregon is correct: We need someone in this position.

He and many of his colleagues on the other side of the aisle are certainly entitled to their opinion that the President made a mistake in his considered decision. I think the President was correct in what he has done and what he is about to do in Iran, but the fact is we are there, and we need a commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and a Director of the National Security Agency.

And I would point out to the Presiding Officer and to my colleagues and to anyone within the sound of my voice that General Rudd was reported out of the Armed Services Committee by a voice vote. No one even asked for a rollcall vote. So there is strong bipartisan support, even among people who agree with my colleague, about the wisdom of the President's action. Even among those people, they agreed by voice vote that General Rudd should be appointed.

Operation Epic Fury is complex. It is demanding. The President is going to dismantle the terrorist regime in Iran, and our capabilities in the cyber domain in that regard have never been more important. So we need this gentleman in office.

We will never get unanimity on every issue, but there is huge support on this side of the aisle and on the Democratic side of the aisle.

655, be confirmed; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

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