Dabbar nomination moving to a full Senate vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), cleared President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Paul Dabbar, for consideration by the full Senate. Mr. Dabbar’s nomination passed the committee by a vote of 17 yeas and 11 nays.

Below are Sen. Cruz's remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Today, we will consider the nomination of Paul Dabbar to be the Deputy Secretary of Commerce.

“As we heard last week and once again at yesterday’s nominations hearing, the Department of Commerce is at the forefront of some of the most critical challenges facing our nation—from countering Chinese economic aggression to restoring our industrial capacity.

“I have already described the two paths before us on trade policy: one that uses tariffs strategically to secure better trade deals and another that locks them in place haphazardly and indefinitely. More broadly, though, we approach what a recent report called ‘America’s Techno-Industrial Crossroads.’ Will we open the metaphorical dams of American ingenuity and production—developing AI and quantum, strengthening our critical supply chains? Or will we be bound by red tape as our rivals race ahead?

“Mr. Dabbar is exceptionally positioned to support Secretary Lutnick at the Department of Commerce. He will ensure our trade policies strengthen—not stifle—American competitiveness and reassert U.S. leadership in emerging technologies.

“Mr. Dabbar brings a blend of experiences from the private and public sectors. After serving as a nuclear submarine officer and managing complex, multimillion-dollar energy deals, he served as the Under Secretary of Science at the Department of Energy. Mr. Dabbar oversaw several of our national labs and legacy nuclear programs. He got out into the field too, traveling to the South Pole in support of high energy physics astronomy missions. Today, he leads an innovative quantum company.

“Mr. Dabbar will be a Deputy Secretary who combines business acumen with scientific expertise. He recognizes that markets are what best help lift up the American worker, but that the government can still selectively and strategically invest. We can still build. And we must.

“I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Dabbar’s nomination.”

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