And that is not just for the political appointees.

Your confirmation gives those candidates a different level of standing.

I'm going to be in Appalachian, Virginia tomorrow visiting the Allegheny Highlands Dental Center.

I appreciate your service, your testimony, and thanks Mr. Chairman.

Your confirmation gives those candidates a different level of standing. They show up with a letter from the President that they present to the head of state, gives them a different level of understanding.

it is important to get the AUKUS piece right before we like prematurely add others in.

We will reach 100 percent clean energy for our DOD facilities in Virginia by 2030.

We need to be looking at the region comprehensively, especially with all the federal facilities.

I do think we have enough data. But this issue is about how when the Army Corps does their assessments of what's needed that they don't take into account the federal facilities.

I want to thank you for your work on Remote Access Medical.

Virginia has become a real leader in clean energy.

Is there not also kind of an informal power that comes in the reverse if you do not have a confirmed nominee? The country believes, wow, we must not be that important in the United States.

Thanks, Chairman Sanders, thanks to the panel.

Holding up a nominee, particularly a career nominee for reasons unrelated to that individual's qualifications is something that needs to end.

if somebody on the Senate is holding you up, and it is secret, you do not even have the ability to...

Thank you, Chairman Whitehouse, and to my colleagues and those attending, it is a pleasure to have Rick Dwyer here today.

I think America's greatest strength is our alliances.

I think America's greatest strength is our alliances.

It seems like a big issue to me.

We had no ambassador in country.

This is already urgent in Virginia. The sea level rise in Hampton Roads is imposing significant costs on our military installations, but also on our communities.

if we mattered to you, you would have someone here, right?

Other nations do that and they have much better health outcome than we do.

We need our diplomats out and development experts out in the field showing up, actively engaged, representing the United States.

We will reach 100 percent clean energy for our DOD facilities in Virginia by 2030.