[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 92 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NOMINATION OF ALICE M. RIVLIN

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, earlier this afternoon, I joined 40 
Republicans to oppose the nomination of Alice Rivlin to the Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve. I wanted to take a moment now to 
explain my vote.
  Let me emphasize that my vote should not reflect personally on Dr. 
Rivlin. Instead, it was exclusively based upon the manner in which the 
Clinton administration has not been forthcoming regarding its budget 
submission for fiscal year 1997.
  As has been made clear in previous debates, in order to reach balance 
by the year 2002, the Clinton budget would require dramatic 
discretionary spending cuts in 2001 and 2002. These cuts would affect 
programs across the Government, including veterans' health care, 
medical research, and WIC.
  Subsequent to the submission of this budget, several Cabinet 
Secretaries testified before Congress that the spending cuts required 
under the President's budget were subject to renegotiation on a yearly 
basis and should not be taken literally. In other words, the 
President's own appointees, who helped put his budget together, were 
claiming that the policies necessitated by that budget were not going 
to be pursued.
  As Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Dr. Rivlin has 
been requested to account for the conflict between the President's 
budget and the testimony of his Cabinet Secretaries. As of this 
afternoon, however, Dr. Rivlin has been unable to provide what would be 
termed, in my opinion, as a suitable explanation. That is why I opposed 
her nomination.
  Before I yield the floor, Mr. President, let me make myself clear. I 
have no misgivings about Dr. Rivlin's fitness or ability to fill the 
position to which the President has nominated her. Instead, my vote 
reflects my dismay at Congress' inability to get a straight answer from 
the administration about whether it stands behind its budget submission 
or not.

                          ____________________