III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 870 

Honoring the life and the legacy of Secretary Ash Carter. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 13, 2022 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Ms. ERNST, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. HIRONO, 

Mr. KAINE, Ms. WARREN, Mr. PETERS, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. KELLY, 

Mr. REED, Mr. KING, and Mr. MANCHIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and the legacy of Secretary Ash Carter. 

Whereas Ashton ‘‘Ash’’ Baldwin Carter (referred to in this 

preamble as ‘‘Secretary Carter’’) was born on September 

24, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to William Carter, Jr., and Anne Carter (ne ́e Baldwin); 

Whereas Secretary Carter received dual bachelor’s degrees in 

physics and medieval history at Yale College, summa cum 

laude, and a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford 

University as a Rhodes Scholar; 

Whereas Secretary Carter first entered public service in 

1981, serving in the Program Analysis and Evaluation 

Office of the Department of Defense; 

Whereas, from 1993 to 1996, Secretary Carter served as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Nuclear Security and 


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•SRES 870 ATS 

Counterproliferation) and Assistant Secretary of Defense 

(International Security Policy) under President William 

J. Clinton, during which Secretary Carter oversaw the 

Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, 

which was responsible for the securing and dismantling 

of weapons of mass destruction in the former states of 

the Soviet Union, including the removal of nuclear weapons from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus; 

Whereas, from 2009 to 2011, Secretary Carter served as 

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, 

and Logistics under President Barack H. Obama, during 

which he led critical procurement and acquisition initiatives, such as the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected family of vehicles, saving the lives of countless service members; 

Whereas, from 2011 to 2013, Secretary Carter served as 

Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Barack H. 

Obama, during which he oversaw the management and 

personnel of the Department of Defense and steered defense strategy and budget through sequestration; 

Whereas, from 2015 to 2017, Secretary Carter served as the 

25th Secretary of Defense under President Barack H. 

Obama, and he was revered for his leadership on gender 

equity and the reinvigoration of United States technology 

in the defense sector; 

Whereas Secretary Carter charted a strategic path for the 

Department of Defense to meet the China challenge by 

continuing to rebalance the defense presence and security 

cooperation of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region; 


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Whereas Secretary Carter played a leading role in the United 

States-led global coalition against the Islamic State of 

Iraq and the Levant, which led to the liberation of 

strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, and the 

territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria; 

Whereas Secretary Carter’s focus on innovation led to the 

creation of the Defense Innovation Unit, the goal of 

which is to bring the rapid advancement in commercial 

technologies to the Department of Defense; 

Whereas, under the direction of Secretary Carter, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded mRNA 

research, later contributing to the development of critical 

COVID–19 vaccines, saving millions of lives in the 

United States and abroad; 

Whereas, under the direction of Secretary Carter, the Department of Defense opened all military roles to women, 

increased critical paid military maternity leave, and permitted transgender service members to join and serve 

openly; 

Whereas Secretary Carter authored and co-authored 11 books 

and more than 100 articles on physics, technology, national security, and management; 

Whereas, after Secretary Carter’s tenure as Secretary of Defense ended, his dedication to public service continued as 

the Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he mentored the 

next generation of national security leaders; 

Whereas Secretary Carter was a 5-time recipient of the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, 

was a 2-time recipient of the Chairman of the Joint 


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Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service 

Award, and received numerous other awards and decorations for public service; 

Whereas Secretary Carter was known to all as a devoted public servant who was resilient in the face of adversity; 

Whereas, on October 24, 2022, at the age of 68, Secretary 

Carter died due to a sudden cardiac event and is survived 

by his wife, Stephanie, his son, Will, his daughter, Ava, 

and his sisters, Corinne and Cynthia; and 

Whereas Secretary Carter will be remembered as a committed 

teacher, a loving father, a devoted husband, and a loyal 

friend: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate— 

3 (A) expresses its deepest sympathy to the 

4 family members of the late Secretary Ashton B. 

5 Carter; 

6 (B) honors the outstanding life and legacy 

7 of Secretary Ashton B. Carter; and 

8 (C) commends Secretary Ashton B. Carter 

9 for his life accomplishments within the United 

10 States Government; and 

11 (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands 

12 adjourned as a further mark of respect to the mem13 ory of the late Secretary Ashton B. Carter. 

Æ 


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