executive Calendar--Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I ask I unanimous consent to complete my remarks.

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Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I rise in support of confirming Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security. I appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for advancing this critical nomination so that we can finally provide the Department of Homeland Security with a qualified, experienced, and Senate-confirmed leader that they so desperately need.

Mr. Mayorkas is a proven leader and has the experience to protect the American people from harm. Throughout his confirmation process, Mr. Mayorkas confirmed his commitment to transparency and working on a bipartisan basis to ensure the Department is able to take on persistent and emerging threats.

And right now the threats we face are severe from domestic terrorism, including the rise of White supremacist violence to cyber attacks from foreign adversaries, to tackling a deadly pandemic. DHS continues to face daunting challenges, challenges that have only been made more difficult to address due to the years of chaos during the previous administration.

That is why former Homeland Security Secretaries from both Republican and Democratic administrations, other senior Homeland Security officials, and law enforcement organizations have urged the Senate to quickly confirm Mr. Mayorkas--because they know he is well prepared for the difficult task that lies ahead.

The Department of Homeland Security needs leadership, and it needs it now. By voting to confirm Mr. Mayorkas, this body can show every American that we are committed to ensuring that they are safe and secure

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise to express my support for the nomination of Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Secretary. His long career in public service, first as a prosecutor and later as Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services--USCIS--will provide DHS with much needed experience, expertise, and stability.

DHS is the third largest Federal agency, and under the Trump administration, it had six Directors in 4 years, four of whom were never Senate confirmed. This lack of stability at the leadership level, combined with the Trump administration's brutal immigration tactics and confrontational actions against peaceful protesters, sowed chaos and distrust in and about the Department.

Mr. Mayorkas will need to meet the challenges of restoring moral authority and guiding the Department through this difficult time. The challenges are many: executing a nationwide vaccine strategy to combat COVID-19, combating the rise of far-right, anti-government extremism and White supremacy, and strengthening our cyber defenses. I was pleased that he committed to supporting both DACA and TPS and working with Congress to support these communities. Maryland has a vibrant TPS population, with over 6,600 TPS holders working in essential industries during the coronavirus pandemic. Congress must act to extend permanent protections to these individuals and ensure that they have a safe and secure future with their families here in the United States. Unlike the previous administration, which torpedoed bipartisan congressional efforts to pass commonsense immigration reform, I am confident that Mr. Mayorkas will work with Congress to tackle these pressing priorities.

I was dismayed that my Republican colleagues sought to delay Mr. Mayorkas's nomination at such a crucial time. Approximately 4 weeks ago, domestic terrorists attacked Congress in an attempt to overturn the 2020 elections. Last week, for the first time, DHS released its first national bulletin warning about domestic rightwing extremism. The Department will need to work with the FBI and DOJ to combat one of the most lethal and persistent threats against our democracy. We cannot wait a minute longer, and Mr. Mayorkas must be confirmed immediately.

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