[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
    NOMINATION OF DR. ROBERT PASTOR TO BE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO PANAMA

  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, earlier this week the Committee of Foreign 
Relations favorably reported the nomination of Dr. Robert Pastor to be 
the U.S. Ambassador to Panama by a vote of 15 to 3.
  I have known and worked with Bob Pastor for almost a decade and have 
relied on his advice on a number of issues relating to Latin American. 
I believe that his comprehensive knowledge of Panama and of the region 
uniquely qualify him to be the United States Ambassador to Panama. I 
have the utmost confidence that Bob and his dedicated wife, Margaret, 
will be excellent representatives of the United States to Panama.
  Bob Pastor has distinguished academic credentials as well as a 
distinguished record of public service. He was Director of the Linowitz 
Commission on U.S.-Latin American Relations. He was Director of the 
Office of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs on the National Security 
Council during the Carter administration. Currently, he is Professor of 
Political Science at Emory University, and also Director of the Latin 
American and Caribbean Program at Emory's Carter Center.
  Mr. President, Bob Pastor also played a key role in the successful 
negotiations between President Carter's delegation and the de facto 
government of Haiti. In a speech to the Senate on September 26, I noted 
that Bob deserves a large measure of credit for the agreement that our 
delegation was able to reach which resulted in the peaceful occupation 
of Haiti by our military and avoided a large loss of American and 
Haitian lives.
  Mr. President, unfortunately Bob Pastor's nomination was only filed 
in the Senate late yesterday, an the written report on this nomination 
is not available yet from the Government Printing Office. Under the 
Senate rules, this written report must be available for two calendar 
days before the nomination can be taken up, so the Senate will not be 
able to act on this nomination before we recess today if there is 
objection from any Senator. I am saddened that there will be an 
objection so the nomination will not be approved today.
  I regret that Bob Pastor's nomination cannot be approved at this 
time. It is clear from the vote in the Foreign Relations Committee and 
from discussions with my colleagues that Bob Pastor's nomination enjoys 
strong support on both sides of the aisle. I hope that the Senate will 
be able to act on this nomination during the special trade session 
later this year. If not, then I expect that the administration will 
resubmit the nomination to the 104th Congress early next year and we 
can act on the nomination at that time without delay.

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