Pelosi Remarks in Support of Patricia Ross at Senate Hearing on Pending Nominations

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks at the Senate Hearing on Pending Nominations in support of Patricia Ross, who currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Speaker, to serve as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs at Department of Veterans Affairs. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It is with great respect for this Committee and its proud, bipartisan spirit and tradition of serving our nation's veterans and their families and caregivers that I come before you today. I join you in saluting General Matthew Quinn and Maryanne Donaghy for their service and prospects and wish them well as they go forward.

But I'm here today to talk about a gold standard of service from my office. I say that to you because I know your work honors our responsibility to ensure that, just as we pledged to leave no soldier on the battlefield, when they come home, we leave no veteran behind. And that is the spirit and the mission of my Senior Policy Advisor and nominated for Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, Patricia Ross. She comes here, as many of us do, strengthened by the love of her family. Let us acknowledge her mother, Nancy, her sisters, Michelle and Barbara, and her partner Tim.

President Biden has chosen an expert domestic policy-making – maker in appointing Patricia Ross to this critical position. Patti, as she is known, has served my office for over a decade, where she has been an invaluable asset to our entire Congress, our Caucus, but more importantly to the people that we serve.

Her portfolio spans a significant portion of domestic policy: agriculture, nutrition, education, labor and veterans, military families and caregivers. Patti has earned the respect of Members and staff on both sides of the aisle for her work, but particularly for her ironclad commitment to our veterans. Coming from a long line of veterans, this dedication is in her DNA. As Speaker, I have seen her commitment firsthand, including her work leading my VSO – Veteran Service Organization – Roundtables, which ensure that veterans have a seat at the decision-making table.

Indeed, one of the many strengths that Patti brings is her expertise as a consensus–finder, a coalition–builder, a listener and a leader, someone with the courage and character to fight to ensure that Congress and our constituents have a voice at the VA. President Biden and Secretary McDonough have made the well-being of our veterans as a top priority, and their mandate includes crushing the coronavirus, as the pandemic tests VA's readiness, providing timely, inclusive and world class health care for all veterans, including those suffering the hidden wounds of war, helping veterans build civilian lives of opportunity and prosperity worthy of their sacrifice and building trust so that we can keep faith with families and caregivers.

As a true partner of veterans, Patti will rise to this responsibility, and really to Senator Sullivan's statement, she is ready to kick butt – I won't go to his word – and take names. Right, Patti? Maggie, forgive me – Senator forgive me.

Patti has helped coordinate Congressional delegations, including to France to mark the 75th Anniversary of the ally D-Day landing in Normandy, where we honored our veterans, and to Belgium and Luxembourg to mark the Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. That visit, we were honored to meet with World War II veterans – in both visits, actually. At that visit, including one man in his 90's who spoke for America's veterans at the Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. He joined the King of Belgium and the Grand Archduke of Luxembourg and the President of Germany, and he – as a representative of our veterans – and he said his message to us was simple, when he said, ‘Pray for peace.'

It was great confidence that I can say that Patti Ross, if confirmed, will be a powerful force – powerful force for peace for our veterans, their families and caregivers.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you and to introduce President Biden's Nominee for the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional and Legislative affairs, Patti Ross.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator Hassan. Thank you, members of the Committee.