[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

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                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nominations: Calendar No. 703, Robert Jay Uram, to be the Director of 
the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement; calendar No. 
715, Ann Brown, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission; calendar No. 716, Ann Brown, to be Chairman of the Consumer 
Product Safety Commission.
  I further ask unanimous consent that the nominees be confirmed en 
bloc; that any statements appear in the Record as if read; that upon 
confirmation, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc; 
that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and 
that the Senate return to legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations considered and confirmed en bloc are as follows:

                       Department of the Interior

       Robert Jay Uram, of California, to be Director of the 
     Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

                   Consumer Product Safety Commission

       Ann Brown, of Florida, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer 
     Product Safety Commission for a term of seven years from 
     October 27, 1992.
       Ann Brown, of Florida, to be Chairman of the Consumer 
     Product Safety Commission.


                statement on the nomination of Ann Brown

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, today I urge my colleagues to support 
the nomination of Ann Brown to be Commissioner and Chairman of the 
Consumer Product Safety Commission [CPSC]. Her nomination was 
unanimously approved by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation at its executive session on February 24, 1994.
  If confirmed as Chairman, Ms. Brown will have an important role in 
ensuring that the CPSC fulfills its mission to reduce the number of 
accidental deaths and injuries associated with consumer products each 
year. In the past, the leadership at the CPSC has been criticized for 
its perceived indifference to the issues facing the agency, and, at 
times, Congress has had to step in to address issues that more 
appropriately should have been handled by the agency itself. A new 
Chairman will have the important responsibility of ensuring that 
matters before the CPSC are undertaken in a timely and expeditious 
manner.
  I am confident that Ms. Brown is prepared for this challenge. She 
comes to the position with an impressive background and a demonstrated 
commitment to product safety. Ms. Brown has been self-employed since 
1970 as an unpaid consumer consultant. Over the past 20 years, she has 
served as the national and local chairperson of the Consumer Affairs 
Committee of Americans for Democratic Action. In this position, she 
directed the annual toy quality and safety report, which provided a 
national guide to the safety of toys on the market each Christmas. Ms. 
Brown also has been active in numerous consumer safety organizations.
  This nominee deserves our support, and I urge my colleagues to join 
me in approving her nomination.

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