[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 88 (Thursday, May 25, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S7579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, in executive session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate immediately proceed to the consideration of the 
following nominations reported today by the Governmental Affairs 
Committee:
  Inez Smith Reed, Ronna Lee Beck, Linda Kay Davis, Eric Tyson 
Washington, Robert F. Rider, S. David Fineman, G. Edward Deseve, and 
John W. Carlin.
  Finally, I ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed, 
en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, en bloc, 
that any statements relating to the nominations appear at the 
appropriate place in the Record, and that the President be immediately 
notified of the Senate's action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations, considered and confirmed, en bloc, are as follows:

       Inez Smith Reid, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
     Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals 
     for the term of 15 years.
       Ronna Lee Beck, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
     Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of 
     Columbia for the term of 15 years.
       Linda Kay Davis, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
     Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of 
     Columbia for the term of 15 years.
       Eric T. Washington, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
     Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of 
     Columbia for the term of 15 years.
       Robert F. Rider, of Delaware, to be a Governor of the 
     United States Postal Service for the remainder of the term 
     expiring December 8, 1995.
       S. David Fineman, of Pennsylvania, to be a Governor of the 
     United States Postal Service for the term expiring December 
     8, 2003.
       G. Edward DeSeve, of Pennsylvania, to be Controller, Office 
     of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and 
     Budget.
       John W. Carlin, of Kansas, to be Archivist of the United 
     States.
               statement on the nomination of john carlin

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, earlier this week, it was my privilege to 
introduce former Kansas Governor John Carlin, President Clinton's 
nominee to be Archivist of the United States, at his confirmation 
hearing before the Governmental Affairs Committee.
  That nomination has now been unanimously reported out of that 
Committee with a favorable recommendation. And as Governor Carlin is 
confirmed by the entire Senate, I wanted to repeat some of the comments 
I made at his hearing.
  Mr. President, the National Archives is an invaluable source of 
information and, no less important, inspiration for millions of 
Americans who yearn to know more about our origins and our collective 
history.
  Last year alone, more than one million of our fellow citizens visited 
the Archives building in Washington. Another 1.3 million visited the 
Nation's Presidential libraries. Countless more visited Federal records 
centers to explore their family genealogy, or attending public programs 
sponsored by the Archives.
  It is important to note that only a very small percentage of those 
who use the National Archives every year have Ph.D's. The vast majority 
have something more important than a Ph.D--They have curiosity and they 
have pride in America's history.
  These are the people who made Ken Burns' ``The Civil War'' a national 
phenomenon. These are the readers who made David McCullough's 
``Truman'' a deserved best seller. And these are the Americans to whom 
the Archivist of the United States must answer.
  In this, the Archivist is no different from the rest of us who are 
temporarily entrusted with our positions. In the last two elections, 
voters have insisted on a government that serves their needs, while 
reflecting their values. The National Archives should be in the 
forefront of this grassroots revolution.
  I believe that the National Archives should reach out beyond the 
Washington beltway to the very heart of America. And the heart of 
America is where John Carlin comes from.
  I have known Governor Carlin for many years, and worked with him on 
countless occasions during his 8 years as Governor. Though we are from 
different parties, Governor Carlin was more interested in partnership 
than in partisanship, when it came to doing what was right for Kansas.
  I believe John Carlin is uniquely qualified to serve as our National 
Archivist. Following a period of internal strife and serious morale 
problems, the Archives needs a leader--someone with the ability to 
frame a coherent vision, the skills to communicate it, and the 
willingness to tap the talents of every single employee of the agency. 
Governor Carlin is such a leader.
  He demonstrated as much in spearheading the magnificent Kansas State 
History Museum and in his continuing involvement with the Kansas State 
Historical Society.
  Far from disqualifying him, as some professional historians have 
suggested, Governor Carlin's political experience will make him a 
persuasive advocate for an agency whose cultural and educational 
possibilities are limited only by its resources.
  As a member of the National Archives Foundation Board, the nominee 
understands better than anyone, that in this era of shrinking budgets, 
the Archives will need to enlist private support to carry out its 
public obligations. His years as a legislator and speaker of the Kansas 
House also afford him a unique perspective on Congress and its 
oversight functions.
  Finally, Governor Carlin also has a wealth of first hand experience 
in the preservation of Government records. When he left the Governor's 
Office, he not only turned over all his papers to the Kansas State 
Historical Society, he did so with the assurance that the entire 
collection would be open as soon as possible and with no restrictions 
placed upon it. He proved to be a man of his word, to the benefit of 
future students of Kansas history, and I am confident his service as 
Archivist of the United States will be of benefit to all students of 
American history.


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