one is admiral manson brown. admiral brown has served our country with distinction for over 30 years. most recently as an officer in the united states coast guard. and what made him successful in the coast guard is going to be put to great use as assistant secretary for environment observation and prediction at noaa. hurricane season is right around the corner. his position is going to provide crucial guidance and accountability if that big storm starts swirling in a counterclockwise fashion headed to the mainland. so i -- this senator from florida is particularly appreciative to senator thune for helping expedite this confirmation and this role we'll also -- will also oversee continued efforts to modernize noaa. mr. president, we are frequently now launching up to date best technology weather satellites. nasa builds them, nasa launches them and noaa operates them. and they are critical in giving us the refined capability to determine the ferociousness of a storm and its track. and as a highly regarded officer, of