[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 170 (Tuesday, October 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NOMINATION OF JOHN DOUGLASS TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I wish to offer a few comments on 
the nomination of John Wade Douglass to be the Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. John has served as 
a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for 
more than 3 years, and he has served the committee well.
  John has been responsible for technology base programs and defense 
research and development issues, as well as NATO issues, for the 
committee's Democratic members. He has worked on such difficult tasks 
as reducing the size of the Defense Department and its budget while 
keeping a coherent program of research and technology that will help 
preserve our national security in the decades to come. He has also 
dealt with the thorny issues of Bosnia and NATO expansion.
  In all his work for the committee, John has offered wise and creative 
approaches to these difficult issues. For example, he has been a 
tireless champion of cost-sharing in Federal dual-use research funding, 
which has now become a standard practice for the Pentagon and other 
government agencies. This new standard will save the taxpayer hundreds 
of millions of dollars while improving the chances that the joint 
research bears fruit for both the military and civilian users.
  Mr. President, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with John over 
the past 3 years. He has worked with me on a number of issues, always 
with energy, intelligence, and humor. Clearly, the Navy's gain will be 
the committee's loss. I want to offer my congratulations to John and 
wish him well in his new position. If he serves the Navy as well as he 
did the committee, as I am sure he will, the Nation will be well served 
indeed.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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