Floor Statements

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my excitement and support that the Senate voted to take another step closer to confirming Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta to serve as Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues.

Today's vote has been a long time in the making, but it moves us one step closer to ensuring that we have a functioning Office of Global Women's Issues that has a Senate-confirmed leader. This is really critical, particularly right now given what is happening around the world, because around the world, women are under attack.

In Iran, thousands of girls and young women have been the victims of chemical attacks in classrooms. We still don't know what the cause of those attacks are, but we do know who has been at risk and who has been suffering, and that is, girls and young women--girls and young women who are the future of Iran, and they are forced to go to school worrying about their safety. Their families are forced to consider if their education is worth risking their lives, and their communities are forced to reckon with a government that is unmoved by the senseless attacks on its girls.

In the Ukraine, Russian forces have used mass rape as a weapon of war in their unprovoked war on Ukraine. Children and their mothers have been reported to be sexually assaulted while their family members are forced to watch.

In Latin America, a woman is killed every 2 hours because of her gender. That is 12 women a day dying simply because they are women.

In Sudan, we see another disturbing but sadly expected pattern. Women are disproportionately affected by the conflict there. They are forced from their homes. They are forced to share their homes with soldiers. They face sexual and gender-based violence and human trafficking. As violence shutters hospitals across that country because of the civil war, roughly 219,000 pregnant women are at risk for lack of medical care.

And, of course, in Afghanistan, the situation is maybe even worse. The de facto Taliban authorities have normalized the systematic violation of the rights of women and girls, to the point that the United Nations warns that ``discriminatory denial of women and girls' fundamental human rights may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity.''

These horrible examples humanize the plight that women around the world are facing, but another troubling set of statistics underscores why this plight is not isolated to one country. It is a global challenge that does not stop at the border of one nation.

Thirty percent of women and girls 15 and older have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner. The majority of the world's poor are women, who globally earn 24 percent less than men and who face some form of job restrictions--so some form of job discrimination--in 84 countries.

It is a sad reality that in 2023, there is not really a single country that has achieved gender equality. In fact, the progress of the last several decades has been set back by the COVID-19 pandemic and authoritarian trends around the world.

So Dr. Gupta, as she takes over--hopefully, once she is confirmed next week--as she takes over that Office of Global Women's Issues, she has a huge responsibility. She will head an office of smart, engaged, and dedicated staff who have devoted their careers to the rights and empowerment of women and girls.

I would be remiss today if I didn't mention Katrina Fotovat, who has served as the senior official at the Office of Global Women's Issues since January of 2021. Kat has led the Office as it implements the Biden-Harris administration's policies on women, peace, and security, countering violent extremism and promoting economic quality, and combating gender-based violence. Her leadership has been invaluable, and she exemplifies what it means to be a public servant.

For those people who question why we need an Office of Global Women's Issues to be a lens for our foreign policy, I think it is important to remind everyone that empowering women and achieving gender equality is not just a moral imperative; it is also a strategic imperative.

The evidence routinely demonstrates that women's empowerment is integral to achieving greater security and stability around the world. Simply put, those societies, those countries that empower women are more stable, and they are more likely to be democracies.

When women work--even when they make less than men for the same job-- they invest 90 percent of their income back into their families and communities. That is compared with only 35 percent for men. Closing the gender gap in education adds half a percent to a country's per capita gross national product. We have excellent data that shows that a peace agreement in conflict areas is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years if women participate in the development of the peace agreement.

These are tangible benefits that show that empowering women benefits whole communities, women and men alike.

We have seen that the work of the Office of Global Women's Issues has shown that change is possible. We can leave a better future for our daughters and granddaughters.

Around the world, more women are in government at all levels today than they were a generation ago, and not coincidentally, more countries are also creating laws to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. Rates of child early and forced marriage are down, while more girls are staying in school. Clearly, the women of the world have not been cowed by violence, oppression, and inequality. They are fighting back, and they are demanding equality and equity.

In 2017, we passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act, ensuring that women's voices and participation are included in conflict resolution and decision-making processes. When I travel around the world, I have been heartened to hear about the effect of the U.S. leadership on women, peace, and security, which is an important part of the mandate of the Office of Global Women's Issues.

Our efforts to encourage the inclusion and empowerment of women are making an impact, despite the huge challenges they face on a daily basis.

Around the world, we are seeing women fighting for their rights. In Iran, women have faced down a brutal dictatorship. They have defied state-sanctioned violence to lead marches in the streets that demand justice for the senseless death of Mahsa Amini.

In Ukraine, women have taken up arms against the invading Russian force while also leading their families and communities to safety.

And across Latin America, women have demanded that their governments do more to stop the senseless gender-based violence and to hold those who commit violence accountable.

Women have long been at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement in Sudan, leading efforts to hold the military and ruling elites to account and demanding that their voices are heard.

And in Afghanistan, in the face of overwhelming odds, women are defying the Taliban's strict decrees to actively protest for their rights. They have not given up. They continue to risk beatings, detention, and death to demand their rights. Their peaceful demonstrations have been met with military force, and yet they continue to protest.

So we cannot stand idly by. These women are why we need a strong U.S. policy that supports the equality and empowerment of women. They are why we need an engaged Office of Global Women's Issues, and they are why we need to confirm Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta as Ambassador at Large as soon as we can next week so that she can take over in that critical position.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Collins and I are allowed to complete our remarks before the vote that is scheduled for 5:30.

Mr. President, I am really pleased to be able to come to the floor today with my cochair in the Diabetes Caucus and friend and colleague Senator Collins to discuss an issue that is near and dear to both of us and to the entire Diabetes Caucus, and that is what Congress can do to improve the lives of those living with this chronic disease.

More than 37 million Americans live with diabetes, and millions more are at risk for developing it. I think most people in this Chamber probably know someone who has been affected by this chronic disease, and they get a chance to see very briefly the challenges that those with diabetes face every day.

I understand those personal struggles all too well because my granddaughter Elle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2007, shortly after her 8th birthday. As a type 1 diabetic, she needs daily access to insulin. Maintaining healthy glucose levels is a worry that has kept her and her mother--her whole family--up too many nights. Without insulin, Elle would not be here because there is no alternative treatment.

There is no cure that can free her from those daily injections. Insulin truly is a lifesaving drug, and it has been for over 100 years. The 100th anniversary of insulin was 2 years ago.

When the Canadian researchers who discovered insulin realized what they had--a drug that would turn a death sentence into a manageable, chronic condition--they decided to sell the patent for $1 each.

They knew the drug they had was revolutionary, and they chose not to chase profits over the good of humankind. Unfortunately, that is not the reality that we live with today. Over the last several decades, insulin prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of too many Americans.

I hear from far too many people about how they have to ration their needed insulin until the next paycheck or until their insurance coverage kicks in.

Let's be clear about what this means. Americans are literally risking their lives to stretch their insulin as far as possible because the costs are so great. And the cost burden is even heavier for uninsured Americans who have to pay fully out of pocket.

These costs quickly number into the thousands of dollars. The challenges

aren't new, but, fortunately, we are making some progress. Congress last year capped Medicare beneficiaries' insulin costs at $35 a month. And, recently, the three largest insulin manufacturers announced they will finally lower their list prices.

Now, Senator Collins and I have commended those manufacturers for finally taking steps to make their insulins more affordable. But until patients are given true financial security and certainty with insulin pricing, the work remains unfinished. Those manufacturers could, at any time, decide again to raise the price of insulin.

There have to be mechanisms in place to systemically address the full scope of this issue. We need to lower costs, and we need to be able to keep those costs down. Insulin costs must be addressed across the board. We must address the root causes of the high cost of insulin.

That is what brings me to the floor today, to discuss legislation that Senator Collins and I recently introduced: the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now--or INSULIN--Act.

First, I want to thank my friend and colleague Senator Collins for her longstanding partnership and leadership. Senator Collins and I cochair the Diabetes Caucus, but it was Senator Collins who founded the caucus in 1997, years before I got here, and there is no more fearless and relentless advocate for those living with diabetes than Senator Collins.

We began working on the INSULIN Act in 2019, recognizing that without a comprehensive bill to address the root causes of skyrocketing insulin prices, patients would never have long-term relief. At that time, unfortunately, there weren't a lot of people in Congress who were advocating for comprehensive insulin pricing reforms.

Since then, more and more Members of Congress have begun pressing for insulin reform legislation. That is encouraging. And it is a message of the commitment in this Chamber to finally get something done on this issue.

I am glad the issue is finally getting the attention it deserves, because we are long past time for Congress to act. Our INSULIN Act takes an across-the-board approach to insulin pricing.

First, our bill caps insulin out-of-pocket costs at $35 or 25 percent of list price monthly. That means that a patient could see monthly costs capped for as little as $15 to $20.

And that provision, which we did for Medicare last year, was actually something that has been promoted by the diabetes community, the JDRF-- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation--and other diabetes advocacy groups.

Second, our bill addresses one of the root causes of insulin price increases--ever-growing rebates collected by pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. Our bill mandates that PBMs pass 100 percent of rebates negotiated on the plan sponsors. So that benefits patients by lowering premiums.

Finally, our bill takes several steps to increase biosimilar competition, which is proven to lower list prices and improve patient access to their medications.

That includes legislation that I have championed for several years, the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act, which is designed to prevent pharmaceutical manufacturers from gaming the FDA's citizen petition process to delay generic drug approvals.

Now, Senator Collins and I have developed what we believe is a good piece of bipartisan legislation, and it has been done in consultation with drug-pricing experts and with the diabetes advocacy community.

Since 2019, we have been working on this. Last year, we invited input from lawmakers, stakeholders, and advocates, including the members of this Chamber.

This bipartisan bill is the product of countless conversations and negotiations to produce a bill that will be the most effective in lowering costs and keeping them there. And it will entice, we believe, the broadest coalition of lawmakers to get behind it.

In particular, I want to thank the American Diabetes Association, the JDRF, and the Endocrine Society for their input and for their endorsement of our legislation.

I look forward to working with the diabetes community, with Senator Collins, and with the rest of the Members of this Chamber and Congress to finally pass this comprehensive bill to give financial relief to all Americans living with diabetes. There is no more time to waste. And I urge the HELP Committee and Senate leadership to bring this bill to the floor as soon as possible.

I yield the floor.

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 33, H.J. Res. 7, and that at 5:45 p.m. today it be considered read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution without any intervening action or debate.

PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Without objection, it is so ordered.

The clerk will report the joint resolution by title.

Mr. President, I now get to the reason that I came to the floor today, which is to recognize and express appreciation for a member of my staff, my legislative director, Dr. Ariel Marshall. Ariel will be leaving for a new opportunity next month, and I can't let her go without thanking her for her service and sharing how much she has meant to me, to her colleagues, and to the State of New Hampshire over the past 8 years. And all you have to do is look at all of our staff from our DC office who are here on the floor as part of this recognition of Ariel.

Ariel came to my Senate office in 2015 through a congressional fellowship for scientists and engineers with an interest in public policy. As a chemist with a Ph.D. in hand, Ariel approached policymaking as if it were a research topic or an experiment. She asked questions. She identified problems. She dove into research to understand different subjects and issue areas and their relationship to one another. She formed theories based on her observations. She looked for creative ways to test her ideas and analyze her findings, and she eagerly shared her conclusions with her colleagues and with an open mind on how the process could be improved.

With her background, it is no surprise that Ariel quickly developed a reputation as a capable and friendly team player. As her fellowship came to an end, Ariel made the decision to stay on staff as a legislative assistant with a focus on energy and environmental issues.

Her responsibilities grew in a very short time when she became a senior domestic policy adviser. And when the legislative director position opened on my team, Ariel was a natural fit, and she accepted her new leadership role with her trademark positivity, grace, and good humor.

Over the last 8 years, there have been historic moments that I know will be the cornerstone of Ariel's memories in the Senate. At the top of that list--for me, anyway--is Ariel's success in getting the Shaheen-Portman--Portman-Shaheen energy efficiency bill across the finish line and signed into law.

Her steady, unwavering efforts to move that bill forward, year after year, piece by piece, should be taught to every incoming legislative staffer in the Senate. It is a study in perseverance and effectiveness.

Her work on Shaheen-Portman--and the work of others before her--is making a huge difference in the global fight against climate change.

Ariel was also instrumental during one of the most difficult, most intense, and most important crises this body has had to face--the fight against COVID. Ariel led our legislative team at a time of great uncertainty here in the Senate. She was a key negotiator of the Senate's legislative response, including the historic CARES Act. Ariel's work on that bill, particularly on the small business provisions and the PPP program--in the midst of a nationwide pandemic and a potential economic collapse--helped to save millions of jobs around the country. Her efforts kept workers employed and food on the table for countless concerned families across this country.

Finally, Ariel was also our leading negotiator throughout the bipartisan infrastructure debate during the summer and fall of 2021. Ariel was particularly integral to both the water infrastructure and broadband investments, and she spent countless late nights--and had numerous slices of cold pizza--with me, with Senator Collins, and with the other bipartisan members of that group.

The infrastructure bill is a huge legislative achievement. It is one that will bring countless benefits to Americans for years to come. One of its most important accomplishments was proving that Republicans and Democrats could still work together to get big things done even in this difficult political climate. This would not have happened without the work of people like Ariel, who is tough, patient, effective, and focused on making a difference.

I am proud of all of the legislative work we have accomplished over these last 8 years in my office, and Ariel's leadership has been integral to these successes.

The legislation, the negotiating, the policymaking--that is just one measure of Ariel's impact. With her background in research and chemistry, Ariel knows that it is a community, or a team, that finds innovations and makes discoveries. That much is clear in her leadership of our legislative staff. She has shaped a team that approaches issues and problems just as she would: by asking the right questions, by searching for solutions, by evaluating all of the options, by getting the job done.

All who work with Ariel view her not only as a wealth of knowledge but also as a dear colleague, a sympathetic ear, and a treasured friend. The relationships she has built and the values she has instilled in her team--I think that is an equal part of her legacy and long tenure on my staff.

These last few weeks have been bittersweet because, while all of us are excited about what is ahead for Ariel, we will also miss her wisdom, her counsel, her can-do attitude, her humor, and her infectious laugh.

Thank you, Ariel, for giving so much to me, to your colleagues, to New Hampshire, and to the country during your service in the U.S. Senate.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that my Defense fellow, Quentin Miller, and my foreign policy fellow, Alicia Edwards, be given floor privileges for the remainder of the 118th Congress.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 25, S. 316, postcloture; further, that at 11:30 a.m., all postcloture time be considered expired, the pending amendment be withdrawn, no further amendments or motions be in order to the bill, the bill be considered read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of S. 316; that following disposition of the bill, the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 28, S. 870; finally, that there be 2 minutes, equally divided, prior to each rollcall vote.

For the information of the Senate, we hope to line up additional rollcall votes during Wednesday's session.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 129, submitted earlier today.

I know of no further debate on the resolution.

I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions introduced earlier today: S. Res. 130, S. Res. 131, S. Res. 132.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles, where appropriate, be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Madam President, I am pleased to be on the floor today with my colleagues expressing my strong support for protecting women's access to basic healthcare and reproductive rights.

Since the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs, we have seen our worst fears realized. A wave of abortion bans have been passed by Republican State legislatures and signed by Republican Governors. These bans put at risk, as we have heard so eloquently from those who have spoken, the health of women across this country.

We have to look no further than my home State of New Hampshire, where our Republican Governor has ensured that women are banned from accessing an abortion after 24 weeks. Our doctors face jail time for helping women access an abortion. Our family planning providers can't make ends meet because elected officials continually block access to Federal and State funding that is vital to ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to care. That care includes basic reproductive education, breast cancer screenings, and sexually transmitted disease treatment--all of which are at risk because those family planning clinics are in financial difficulty because the Republican legislature and the Republican Governor continue to deny them funding.

Just today, Republican representatives in New Hampshire's State Legislature are considering new abortion bans--bans that are so early that most women don't even know they are pregnant. These bans don't include exceptions even for rape or incest.

The Women's Health Protection Act ensures that a woman's access to care is not unnecessarily restricted by where she lives. I want to thank Senators Baldwin and Blumenthal, Senator Murray, and so many others who have been such strong supporters over the years for their leadership in drafting this legislation.

I know you know, Madam President, and certainly all women know that one of the most important personal decisions a woman faces in her lifetime is if and when to start a family. That decision should be made by a woman with her family, with her medical provider, and with whomever else she wants to include in that decision, but it should not be made for her by her State representative, by her Governor, by a Member of Congress, by her President, and certainly not by any unelected jurist. That decision belongs to a woman and a woman alone. It is time for us to restore that right to women all across this country.

I yield the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to my colleague from Virginia, Senator Kaine. I am really pleased to join you on the floor in support of Dr. Gupta to be Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues at the Department of State.

Sadly, this isn't the first time that I have come to the floor to raise Dr. Gupta's nomination here with our colleagues in the Senate but also with our colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee.

I have to admit that it is disappointing to still be standing here trying to convince my colleagues that women's rights matter. They matter whether they are in the United States, in Afghanistan, in Iran, in China, or in Venezuela.

Partisan obstruction should not prevent a qualified nominee from undertaking the necessary work of the Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues. I have to be honest, it feels to me like what is at issue here is more than just the Office of Global Women's Issues. It feels like the Members of this body don't understand the role of that office and think that anytime there is something that has ``women'' in the title, that we must be talking about reproductive rights. Well, that is not what the Office of Global Women's Issues does. Reproductive rights are not part of that office, and it is disappointing that we are here still debating whether we are going to put in an Ambassador into that office, when since the beginning of the Trump administration, we have only had about a year when we have had an Ambassador at the Office of Global Women's Issues.

I would say to my colleagues across the aisle who are worried about Dr. Gupta's record to meet with her. Sit down and talk about what she would prioritize as Ambassador for Global Women's Issues. They should request a briefing with USAID's Office of Global Health because that is where their work is done to address women's healthcare.

What USAID's Office of Global Health has done is to reduce maternal deaths by 30 percent annually. It saves the lives of 1.4 million children under 5 each year, and it decreases--let me repeat that--it decreases the number of abortions, particularly unsafe abortions, that happen around the world. But that is not what the Office of Global Women's Issues does.

I hope they won't continue to hold up Dr. Gupta's nomination because they

don't understand how women's health is supported by the U.S. Government or which offices do the work that they object to.

The Office of Global Women's Issues is charged with advancing the rights and liberation of women and girls around the world through our U.S. foreign policy. It endeavors to empower women and eliminate barriers that prevent them from achieving equity and equality, particularly economic equity and equality.

Not only does the Office of Global Women's Issues prioritize policies and programs to advance the status of women around the world, it ensures that U.S. policies incorporate a gender lens at all levels of policy and decision making.

And now more than ever, we need an office that is charged with leading U.S. policy on women, because around the world, what we have seen as the result of the last few years of this pandemic is that the gender gap has grown. Girls are dropping out and staying out of school at a higher rate than boys; the female labor-force participation rate has declined, with women holding less secure jobs and taking on even more unpaid child and housing labor than before the pandemic; and gender-based violence has increased to such an extent that U.N. Women-- the U.N. body charged with advancing the rights of women globally--now warns of what they are calling a shadow pandemic of violence.

These are issues of consequence to half--more than half--of the world's population. They need a champion in our U.S. foreign policy. They need Dr. Gupta.

Gender equity, equality, and the empowerment of women and girls must be a focal point of U.S. policy, and that is exactly what the Ambassador at Large is intended to facilitate.

The reason it matters to our foreign policy is because what we know is that when women are empowered, their families are empowered; they give back more to their families and their communities than men do; and societies that empower women are more stable societies.

These are issues that we need to pay attention to. We need someone in that role who is going to pay attention to those issues. And that is what Dr. Gupta would do if she is approved.

(Ms. SMITH assumed the Chair.)

So, Madam President, Senator Kaine, that is why we are here again on the floor in support of Dr. Gupta's nomination in hopes that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle--but particularly our Republican colleagues--will recognize what the Office of Global Women's Issues does and understand that it is not the office that is working on reproductive rights for women.

Will my colleague yield for a question?

I think, perhaps, I wasn't clear. I didn't talk about Dr. Gupta's position on reproductive rights for women. I talked about the role of the Office of Global Women's Issues.

When I supported Kelley Currie, who was nominated by President Trump to be the head of the Office of Global Women's Issues, I didn't ask what her position was on choice; I asked her what she was going to do if she took that role. And she had an excellent history of working on issues that matter to women and foreign policy, and because that is not the Agency that is charged with women's reproductive health in our government, I didn't think that should be the basis on which I judged whether she was the appropriate person to take over that role.

And, sadly, what seems to have happened is that because Dr. Gupta personally says she is pro-choice, all of the anti-choice organizations have made her nomination an issue.

So I would ask my colleague: Have you sat down with Dr. Gupta? Have you asked her what she would do in her role if she is approved to be the head of Global Women's Issues and whether that was something that she was going to talk about or work on?

I would just say to my colleague, having sat through those hearings, which my recollection is only one or two Republicans on the committee showed up and that most of the people who I talked to had not actually talked to Dr. Gupta, didn't actually know what the Office of Global Women's Issues does. And it is very disappointing that they are going to make a decision based on a press release from Planned Parenthood as opposed to looking at what she would actually do in that role and the responsibilities of that office.

So I am--you know, you guys think that every time you see ``women'' in a title, as I said, we are talking about reproductive rights. That is not the case. There is a lot that women do besides having babies.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I come to the floor to recognize the Dover Adult Learning Center--DALC--on its 50th anniversary. For five decades, the hard-working team at the DALC has supported thousands of adult learners in their quest to reinforce their learning skills and improve their lives through high-quality adult education. I join a grateful community in saluting them for the indispensable service they provide not only to each participant, but also to local partners and businesses who benefit from an educated and engaged workforce.

We all know that an education is the key to unlocking so many doors of opportunity. These doors could lead to a fulfilling new job, a hard- earned promotion at a current place of work, or additional education and training at a community college. No matter the destination, the Dover Adult Learning Center works closely with community members throughout their educational journey to identify personal goals and provide tailored instruction that guides them toward their full potential. The center offers an inviting atmosphere where students of all types--including people with disabilities, people who are homeless or unemployed, teens who might otherwise drop out of high school or immigrants learning English--feel comfortable honing their reading, writing, math, and digital literacy skills. At the Dover Adult Learning Center, a high-quality adult education is always within reach.

Each June, the Dover Adult Learning Center holds a graduation ceremony where participants are able to celebrate the successful completion of their program alongside family, friends, center staff, and volunteer tutors. It is a time to reflect on a period of personal growth and achievement. It is also a chance to look forward with hope. For many graduates, an exciting future with new possibilities is only just beginning. Through their experience at the Dover Adult Learning Center, they are given the tools to venture into this new world with an open mind and a lifelong appreciation for learning.

As a former teacher at the Dover Adult Learning Center, I know from personal experience how hard the center works to provide these programs and accommodate each participant through a variety of learning options, flexible schedules, and access to supportive services like childcare. Its staff and educators are creative in connecting and engaging with each student, and they are always there to offer support and guidance. We should take a moment to thank all of the teachers, staff, and volunteers for the skill, dedication, and passion that they bring to their roles at the center each and every day.

On behalf of the people of New Hampshire, I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in congratulating the Dover Adult Learning Center on five decades of service and wishing its team all the best as they continue their important work in the coming years.

Madam President, I am very pleased to be on the floor today with my colleague Senator Hirono to express our strong support for the nomination of Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta to be Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues at the Department of State.

The position that Dr. Gupta has been nominated for leads the Office of Global Women's Issues, which is charged with advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls around the world through U.S. foreign policy, so looking at our foreign policy through a gender lens that recognizes that women are half of the world's population.

Not only does the Office of Global Women's Issues prioritize policies and programs to advance the status of women around the world, it ensures that U.S. policies incorporate a gender lens at all levels of policy and decision making.

The last 2\1/2\ years of the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated why this office is more important than ever before. Around the world over those last

2\1/2\ years, the gender gap has grown as a result of the pandemic. Girls are dropping out and staying out of school at a higher rate than boys. The female labor force participation rate has declined, with women not only holding less secure jobs but also taking on more unpaid work at home with childcare and housing.

Gender-based violence has increased to such an extent that UN Women, the U.N. body charged with advancing the rights of women globally, now warns of what they call a ``shadow pandemic'' of violence.

These are issues of great consequence to half of the world's population. They cannot be an afterthought. Gender equity, equality, and the empowerment of women and girls must be a focal point of U.S. foreign policy, and that is exactly what the Ambassador at Large is intended to facilitate.

Unfortunately, this position has been unfilled for too long. Over the past 5 years, beginning in the Trump administration, the position of the Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues has been filled for only 1 year, so 20 percent of the time over the last 5 years.

During that time, we have endured an unprecedented global pandemic. We have ended a 20-year war in Afghanistan. We have watched as Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine. We have experienced a supply chain crisis and suffered a global food shortage. And in every single one of these crises, women have been more acutely affected than men and affected in a different way than men.

During the pandemic, women, who make up almost 70 percent of the healthcare workforce, have been those who have been on the frontlines of providing care for the sick and vulnerable.

With the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, women's rights have been rolled back at an unprecedented rate, and we have seen--90 percent of the households in Afghanistan have food insecurity, and women are experiencing the greatest part of that.

Displacement from the war in Ukraine has left millions of women vulnerable to human trafficking, even as Russia continues to shell their homes and communities.

The food insecurity from the supply chain crisis and global food shortage has reinforced our understanding of what we have seen for too long: that in times of hunger, it is women who eat last and who eat the least.

Through all of these crises, the Office of Global Women's Issues has been without a leader to spearhead its work to ensure that women's needs are incorporated in every aspect of the U.S. response to these crises. Now, why does that matter? Well, not only do women make up 50 percent of the world's population, but what we know is that where women are empowered, they contribute, give back more to their families. They give back more to their communities. The countries that empower women are more stable; they are more economically secure.

This is a policy that is important not only to our foreign policy writ large but to our national security. That is why we need to fill this position and why we urgently need to confirm Dr. Gupta.

Dr. Gupta has spent her career in service to gender equality and women's empowerment. She knows better than most the impact that unfair gender norms and inequalities have on women and the importance of prioritizing women's leadership.

What is so unfortunate is that Dr. Gupta is being punished for her personal views on women's reproductive choices. As the result of those personal views, those groups who oppose women's reproductive choices are spreading falsehoods instead of facts. They are doing that, and unfortunately, too many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been willing to listen to those falsehoods without really looking at the facts. This sets a very dangerous precedent for all future nominees.

Let me be clear. The Office of Global Women's Issues does not lead on sexual and reproductive health and rights, nor does it provide information about abortion services.

When former President Trump nominated someone to lead the Office of Global Women's Issues, I and my pro-choice colleagues in this body didn't ask her what her position was on choice because we knew that was not the mission of the Office of Global Women's Issues, and she was confirmed. And I think by all accounts, people thought she did a good job in the short time that she was there.

So why are my Republican colleagues spreading these falsehoods? They have said that Dr. Gupta has advised the World Health Organization to support abortion as a human right. They have alleged that Dr. Gupta gave a speech saying that abortion should be an essential service. They have alleged that the administration has plans to include abortion in the mandate of the Office of Global Women's Issues. Let me be clear. There is no truth behind those allegations.

If you missed it, let me say it again. There is no truth behind those allegations.

We cannot let this idea that because somebody has a personal position on an issue that affects them, that that means they cannot be considered for a position within the government. You know, based on that criteria, I wouldn't be able to be considered for any position.

So for the sake of Dr. Gupta's nomination today and for the sake of all of those qualified women candidates who are going to come before the Senate in the future, we can't let this divisive move become the status quo. We have to correct the record. We need to approve Dr. Gupta, and we need to get the Office of Global Women's Issues back operating at full capacity.

With that, let me yield to my colleague from Hawaii, Senator Hirono.

Thank you, Senator Hirono, and thank you for your eloquent remarks about Dr. Gupta's qualifications and the importance of having someone who has those kinds of qualifications at the Office of Global Women's Issues.

At this time, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee be discharged and the Senate proceed to the following nomination: PN1578, Geeta Rao Gupta, to be Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues; that the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; and that any related statements be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I can buy that answer. Senator Hagerty and I have worked together on the Foreign Relations Committee. I voted for you to be an Ambassador. I thought you did a good job in that role, and I think you are doing a good job now.

But the fact is that taking up floor time to deal with qualified nominees at a time when we have limited floor time, when we have a position that needs to be filled, when we have a minority position on the Foreign Relations Committee in opposition to authorizing permanently the Office of Global Women's Issues tells me it is something more than that, and I think Dr. Gupta's stalled nomination is emblematic of the intransigence on confirming President Biden's nominees for the Department of State.

That obstructionism is undermining our diplomatic efforts. It is demoralizing to employees at the Department of State who have dedicated their lives to U.S. foreign policy, and I know you understand that because you headed an Embassy. You know how critical our employees are who manage our foreign policy.

Eric Rubin, a former Ambassador to Bulgaria, recently spelled out what this means for U.S. diplomacy and national security, and this is the concern that we all ought to have.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record this article from Puck News.

Ambassador Rubin put it very starkly. He said:

The U.S. no longer has the largest diplomatic service.

China does.

He concluded by saying:

We have to stop tying one hand behind our backs in our

efforts to represent our country and advance its security and

prosperity.

It's malpractice.

It is malpractice.

The fact that too many people in this Chamber are dragging their feet on allowing Ambassadors to be confirmed, on allowing diplomats with the Department of State to be confirmed, on allowing other high level people throughout government to be confirmed because, only, of their opposition to the Biden administration is just untenable, and it is against our national security.

So I think it is time now for the Senate to do its job to confirm Dr. Gupta. So let's move forward. Let's get our foreign policy with respect to gender throughout the world back on track.

I yield the floor.