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Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I want to speak just a moment before we cast a vote in just a few minutes. I want to speak about the importance of confirming the nomination of Army CPT Richard Topping to be the Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I chair the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. We have had Mr. Topping before us, and he, as the Chief Financial Officer, if confirmed, is responsible for making certain the VA is a good steward of taxpayer dollars, that the VA has the resources to carry out the Department's mission of caring for our Nation's heroes and their loved ones.

We must have a Chief Financial Officer who puts veterans first, prioritizes accountability and transparency, and understands the importance of this responsibility in helping the Department of Veterans Affairs fulfill its mission.

Captain Topping was raised in a military family and served in the U.S. Army, so he is a veteran. In his testimony before the committee, he shared about the important role the VA played in his life, from caring for his sister who become ill while serving in Iraq to enabling his grandfathers, both World War II veterans, to receive a college education through the GI bill.

He also discussed the importance of using his experience as a servicemember and a veteran to advocate to enhance the VA's financial systems to make certain taxpayer dollars are used effectively and transparently and to improve budget forecasting and management, all of which are critical to the Department's success.

I am grateful to Captain Topping for his willingness to continue serving his fellow veterans in this new capacity, and I look forward to working with him to improve the lives of veterans, caregivers, survivors, and military families in my home State of Kansas and across the country in the coming years. I will be voting yea.

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