Congressional Record—Senate S1334
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S1334 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 6, 2014 Well, 5 years is long enough. It is The Senator from New Jersey. continue to implement and verify the time for Democrats to abandon their Mr. MENENDEZ. It is always good to arms control treaties we have with failed economic experiments and to see my distinguished colleague from them, particularly the New START work with Republicans to pass legisla- New Jersey presiding before the Sen- treaty. These treaties are not some- tion that will actually create jobs and ate. thing we do as a favor to Russia; they opportunities and put Americans back I come to the floor to support the are a vital measure for limiting the po- to work. We can do that. We can do nomination of Rose Gottemoeller for tential dangerous nuclear escalation that today. The President can pick up Under Secretary of State for Arms that might occur in a crisis. the phone he talks about and call the Control and International Security. For all of these reasons and many majority leader. Ask him to bring up She has been the Acting Under Sec- others, we need to confirm the nomina- any one of these initiatives I have men- retary since February 2012. It has been tion of Rose Gottemoeller so she can tioned on which there is broad bipar- 2 years now. fully assume her new responsibilities tisan support: the Keystone Pipeline, She is a distinguished public servant as Under Secretary of State for Arms trade promotion authority—initiatives who over her long career has played a Control and International Security. that would grow jobs—repealing the vital role in addressing the critical She has all the authority necessary to medical device tax. There were 79 votes proliferation challenges the United represent U.S. security interests in the in the Senate on amendments to the States faces. In my mind, it would be international community. budget last year in support of appeal- difficult to find a person more appro- Having said that, I know there are ing that onerous tax. priate to take on the variety of new differences within the Senate about the There are things we can do together, and old proliferation threats we face. question as to how we should approach Rose Gottemoeller was the chief U.S. that we can do today to create jobs and nonproliferation issues, but regardless negotiator of the New Strategic Arms grow and expand this economy, lower of those differences, I believe there are Reduction Treaty with the Russian the cost of hiring people in this coun- a number of issues on which we can all Federation. During the Clinton admin- try, so we can get more Americans agree. istration she served in the Department back to work with good-paying jobs We can all agree that we face a new of Energy overseeing its nuclear pro- that will help lift them higher in their and more complex set of proliferation liferation portfolio. During the critical economic circumstances and give them threats—the threat of terrorists get- period of 1993 to 1994, she was at the ting their hands on nuclear, chemical, a better and a brighter future. I hope National Security Council overseeing or biological weapons, the danger of re- that is what the President will choose the denuclearization of Ukraine, gional armed nuclear adversaries, such to do rather than following through on Kazakhstan, and Belarus—a topic of as North Korea and Iran, using their so many of these election year ploys, if some importance given the current cri- nuclear capabilities to blackmail our you will, that are simply designed to sis in the Ukraine. partners and allies. help win elections come election day As we consider this nomination, it is In response to these threats, we all rather than doing something that is worthwhile reviewing the array of agree we need a more modern and flexi- meaningful to help middle-class fami- issues and nonproliferation threats we ble nuclear enterprise and updated lies and the American people. face. policies that can respond to these new Mr. President, I yield the floor. In Syria, we are facing ridding the re- threats as well as the old threats we I suggest the absence of a quorum. gime of its chemical weapons arsenal, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The face. I hope we can agree that we need seeking to keep the pressure on Assad to confirm this nominee to be in a posi- clerk will call the roll. to fulfill his commitments and verify The legislative clerk proceeded to tion with authority to help update and that Syria is in full compliance with call the roll. implement those policies with the full provisions to destroy its chemical Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask authority of the position. weapons production, mixing, and fill- unanimous consent that the quorum What I would say to the Senate is ing. The United States, along with the call be rescinded. that at the end of the day there are The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. rest of the international community, is some who may disagree on verification engaged in the complex process to BOOKER). Without objection, it is so or- and compliance procedures or on the transport and safely destroy Syria’s dered. nature of the modernization of our pro- chemical weapons stockpile. gram, but we cannot disagree on the f Second, on the issue of Iran’s nuclear significance of the threats we face and CONCLUSION OF MORNING program, we are entering a critical the need to have a team in place tasked BUSINESS stage in negotiations. As I noted in re- with representing our security inter- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning marks on the floor last month, we ests at the highest national level. business is closed. must, in my view, maintain the pres- This is not a time to say no to con- sure on Iran to dismantle its nuclear f firming a qualified, experienced non- weapons program. As part of our nego- proliferation expert when so much is at EXECUTIVE SESSION tiations, we must insist on the most stake in Syria, North Korea, and Iran, stringent measures to verify whether and negotiations with Russia—not Iran is in compliance with agreements NOMINATION OF ROSE EILENE when we imagine the consequences of it has signed. We need to ensure that what the spread of these weapons can GOTTEMOELLER TO BE UNDER any final deal that might be signed can SECRETARY OF STATE FOR bring. I urge my colleagues to confirm be precisely monitored, providing us a this nominee in the national security ARMS CONTROL AND INTER- warning signal at the first hint that NATIONAL SECURITY interest of the United States and look Iran is seeking to achieve nuclear forward to a strong support of her nom- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under breakout. ination. the previous order, the Senate will pro- Third, in terms of North Korea, the With that, I yield the floor and sug- ceed to executive session to consider United States has stated that we will gest the absence of a quorum. the following nomination, which the not accept North Korea as a nuclear The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report. weapons state, which would potentially clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk read the nomi- unleash an arms race in the region and The legislative clerk proceeded to nation of Rose Eilene Gottemoeller, of threaten our security and the security call the roll. Virginia, to be Under Secretary of of our allies. Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I ask State for Arms Control and Inter- Fourth, we have to maintain and unanimous consent that the order for national Security. sharpen our efforts to prevent terror- the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under ists from getting their hands on and/or The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the previous order, the time until 11:20 using nuclear, chemical, or biological objection, it is so ordered. a.m. will be equally divided between weapons. Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I ask the majority leader and the Republican Finally, despite all of our recent dif- unanimous consent to speak up to 7 leader or their designees. ficulties with Russia, it is vital that we minutes as if in morning business. VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:34 Mar 06, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G06MR6.008 S06MRPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with SENATE March 6, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1335 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Jim gave of himself in all he did. NOMINATION OF SUZANNE ELEA- objection, it is so ordered. From the boardroom to the ballfield, NOR SPAULDING TO BE UNDER TRIBUTE TO JIM YOUNG his presence is going to be so missed. SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I rise It is my sincere hope that Jimmy’s HOMELAND SECURITY today with a heavy heart that I pay wife Shirley, his children and his The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tribute to the life and legacy of a grandchildren, find comfort knowing the previous order, the clerk will re- friend, Jim Young. Jim passed away on that so many lives were made better port the Spaulding nomination. February 15 after a courageous battle because of his efforts. The bill clerk read the nomination of with pancreatic cancer. My thoughts Jim leaves a vibrant legacy of lead- Suzanne Eleanor Spaulding, of Vir- and prayers are with his wife Shirley, ing by example, inspiring others by be- ginia, to be Under Secretary, Depart- his children, and his grandchildren dur- lieving in every single person’s poten- ment of Homeland Security.