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“EXECUTIVE SESSION” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S2081-S2082 on April 2, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
EXECUTIVE SESSION
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NOMINATION OF TOMASZ P. MALINOWSKI TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR
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NOMINATION OF PORTIA Y. WU TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR
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NOMINATION OF DEBORAH L. BIRX TO BE AMBASSADOR AT LARGE AND COORDINATOR
OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES TO COMBAT HIV/AIDS GLOBALLY
Mr. REID. Mr. President, pursuant to an order that is now in effect in the Senate, I move to proceed to executive session to consider the Malinowski, Wu, and Birx nominations, and ask that all time for debate be yielded back on all of these nominations.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the nominations.
The assistant bill clerk read the nominations of Tomasz P. Malinowski, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Portia Y. Wu, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor; and Deborah L. Birx, of Maryland, to be Ambassador at Large and Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today I rise to express my support for the nomination of Dr. Deborah Birx to serve as the next Global Aids Coordinator at the Department of State. Dr. Birx's extensive leadership, experience, and research in the field of HIV/AIDS make her an ideal candidate to lead our Nation's response to HIV/AIDS around the world.
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, has been a resounding success. Our investments in fighting HIV/AIDS throughout the world have resulted in access to treatment for millions of people and dramatic reductions in new infections. It has also garnered unprecedented respect for the United States in communities around the world. This is why it is important that we have a strong coordinator who will continue to lead on this important issue. Dr. Birx has a unique combination of scientific, technical, and leadership experience that makes her the best candidate for this position.
Dr. Birx began her career serving in the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where she led the Department of Defense in its work on HIV/AIDS throughout the 1980s. In that role, she lead one of the most influential HIV vaccine trials in history, which resulted in the first supporting evidence of any vaccine being effective in lowering the risk of contracting HIV.
For more than a decade, Dr. Birx served as the Director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Department of Defense. During her time there she brought together the Army, Navy, and Air Force in a new model of cooperation and greatly improved the U.S. military's HIV/AIDS efforts through innovative collaboration.
Since 2005, she has served as the Director of the Global AIDS Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC. Through her leadership, CDC now has an infrastructure that supports HIV/AIDS programs in over 75 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America which are funded by PEPFAR.
Dr. Birx has dedicated her career to advancing and improving the field of HIV/AIDS. After three decades in the fight against HIV/AIDS, her passion and dedication to her work has not wavered, and she remains stalwart in her belief that we can put an end to this epidemic. Her leadership and expertise in this field is unprecedented, which is why I urge my colleagues to support the nomination of Dr. Deborah Birx to serve as the next U.S. Global Aids Coordinator.
Vote On Malinowski Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Tomasz P. Malinowski, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor?
The nomination was confirmed.
Vote On Wu Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Portia Y. Wu, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor?
The nomination was confirmed.
Vote On Birx Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Deborah L. Birx, of Maryland, to be Ambassador at Large and Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally?
The nomination was confirmed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table and the President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
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