The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Nomination of Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas (Executive Session)” mentioning Martin Heinrich was published in the Senate section on page S211 on Feb. 1.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Nomination of Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas
Mr. TESTER. Madam President, I rise to speak about a friend of mine, Ali Mayorkas. He is President Biden's choice to head up the Department of Homeland Security. Now, I don't need to tell the folks in this Chamber how big of a job this is, but let me be clear: It is our duty to put somebody in this role who is up to the task of getting things done, and I am here to assure you that Ali Mayorkas is that man.
I worked closely with Ali when he was Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration. It is obvious that he has the understanding of the challenges that this country is facing--from the coronavirus pandemic to immigration, to cybersecurity, to threats from our foreign adversaries and now, more than ever, from our domestic ones. Perhaps, most importantly, he has demonstrated that he is going to listen and learn about the unique problems facing each State in this Union.
He proved that to me when I brought him to Montana back in 2015. We flew along the Montana-Canada border and visited the Ports of Piegan and Sweetgrass before hosting a roundtable on human trafficking in Havre, just a little more than 50 miles from where I live. We also held listening sessions on law enforcement and first responders in Helena. We met with local businesses to discuss cross-border trade and even met with union representatives from Customs and Border Protection. He traveled thousands of miles to hear firsthand what Montanans had to say, and because of it, he understood what our State needed from him in order to be successful with our homeland security. That, folks, is what leadership looks like.
Over the past 4 years, we have seen the Department of Homeland Security in turmoil with six different Secretaries. We need a steady hand, a steady hand like Ali Mayorkas's, to get us back on track. After all, he spent 7 years in leadership roles in the Department of Homeland Security. He understands the challenges. He understands it is going to take a lot of work. He understands that we are going to have to bring people together, and he understands that this job is a 24/7 job. He understands because he has lived it. He has the knowledge and the experience to lead our Nation's Homeland Security today and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
Now, it is my understanding that tomorrow, at 2:30, we will vote on Ali Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security. I would hope that we would get a strong vote for him out of this body because, quite frankly, after the events of January 6, we have no time to waste.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HEINRICH. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________
Alerts Sign-up