Graham Introduces Adm. Kevin Lunday, Nominee for Commandant of the US Coast Guard at Commerce Cmte.

[00:00:00] now uh recognize our friend and [00:00:03] colleague from the great state of South [00:00:04] Carolina to Senator Graham. And I would [00:00:06] note that I expect you to get as choked [00:00:08] up and emotional about the Coast Guard [00:00:09] as I did. [00:00:10] >> Well, I'm very excited about the Coast [00:00:12] Guard. Um we have a plan apparently to [00:00:15] move the entire Coast Guard to South [00:00:17] Carolina and I want to [00:00:19] >> Your time is expired. I don't think that [00:00:21] probably helps you here. But u the [00:00:24] reason I'm here is I've known um Admiral [00:00:27] Lundy for a while and he's born in [00:00:29] Columbia, South Carolina. And to both of [00:00:31] you uh chair and ranking member, I [00:00:34] appreciate acknowledging the role the [00:00:36] Coast Guard plays. This the mighty [00:00:38] mighty Coast Guard and we're here at the [00:00:40] Commerce Committee and without the Coast [00:00:42] Guard we'd be less safe and less [00:00:44] prosperous. Uh Admiral Lundy and his uh [00:00:47] lovely wife Linda Lee are here. They've [00:00:50] dedicated 39 years of service to the [00:00:52] United States Coast Guard. He's an uh [00:00:55] graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy [00:00:57] with honors the National War College, [00:00:59] the Naval War College, and George [00:01:01] Washington University Law School. One [00:01:03] thing I want to highlight, he's the [00:01:04] first judge advocate in the history of [00:01:06] Coast Guard to be comedant. I think now [00:01:08] is a good time for that expertise. Uh I [00:01:11] served as a judge advocate uh in the Air [00:01:13] Force and his experience uh he's a cyber [00:01:18] uh security expert. He's commanded uh [00:01:21] forces all over the world in the Coast [00:01:23] Guard. He's been the comedant for the [00:01:26] last 10 months. These are dangerous [00:01:28] times in which we all live. I think he's [00:01:31] got the expertise, the academic [00:01:33] background, and the character and the [00:01:34] judgment to continue to lead the Coast [00:01:36] Guard. Uh, I would urge you to continue [00:01:41] making him the comedant. I think he's [00:01:43] earned that distinction. His record is [00:01:46] unblenmished. He understands the men and [00:01:48] women of the Coast Guard because he has [00:01:50] lived his life in their ranks. He has [00:01:53] been all over the world in the service [00:01:54] of our nation. And I just can't [00:01:57] recommend him to you more highly. We're [00:02:00] proud of the fact that he started his [00:02:02] life in South Carolina and he's risen [00:02:04] the ranks as a judge advocate all the [00:02:07] way to the top and that is something to [00:02:09] be proud of. So I wish you and your wife [00:02:12] all the best and um I know that if [00:02:14] you're the comedant of the Coast Guard [00:02:16] continuing that role, America will be [00:02:18] safe and prosperous. Thank you, Mr. [00:02:20] Chairman. Thank you all.