[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 92 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 VOTE ON THE NOMINATION OF ALICE RIVLIN

  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, before I make a comment with regard to the 
Kyl amendment, which I have talked about previously and will be talking 
about again at some length, if necessary, I would just like to make a 
comment that I was rather disappointed in the votes we just had. We 
just had two controversial nominations: One, Mr. Greenspan and one, Ms. 
Rivlin.
  I was very pleased to see, although the Greenspan nomination was 
controversial, it had a strong bipartisan flavor of support on a vote 
of 91 to 7. Frankly, I was quite disappointed at the lack of similar 
consideration for the other nomination that some people thought was 
controversial with regard to Ms. Rivlin.
  We all know Alice Rivlin and have known her for a very, very long 
time. Frankly, I was discouraged that the bipartisan spirit that has to 
be part of the Federal Reserve Board was not accepted nearly as handily 
as was the Greenspan nomination.
  Ms. Rivlin was confirmed by a vote of 57 for and 41 against. I thank 
those few Members on the Republican side of the aisle who at least, in 
this instance, showed the same bipartisan support that those of us on 
this side of the aisle showed for Mr. Greenspan. Frankly, I was quite 
disappointed and, I think, this is a point in the Senate that should be 
raised.
  There must be sometime when we can lay partisanship aside and 
recognize and realize that we have a two-party system that still is 
designed to function here.

                          ____________________