Political Quotes

“I am rising to ask unanimous consent to consider the nomination of Leopoldo Martinez. This body should confirm him today to serve as Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank. From the world's highest per capita COVID infection and death rates to the largest economic contraction anywhere in the world, Latin America and the Caribbean are still struggling to recover from devastating waves of the pandemic. The region also faces historic refugee and migration movements that stretch across the continent. And added to this, many of these nations must confront longstanding poverty and inequality as well as climate change and threats to the environment. Given the significant economic social and development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean, we urgently need Senate-confirmed leadership at our hemisphere's most important multilateral development bank. The Inter-American Development Bank is essential to addressing these issues. It is critical that we have strong U.S. leadership at the Bank. Mr. Martinez brings decades of experience in the public and private sector, as well as academia, and he will provide exactly that. He has advised Fortune 500 companies and private equity funds. He has helped international business and nongovernmental organizations, and he has committed to work with the Senate to support a much needed capital increase for the Bank, which we approved as part of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act last year.…”