[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 10 (Thursday, January 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S823-S829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOMINATION OF WILLIAM M. DALEY, OF ILLINOIS, TO BE SECRETARY OF
COMMERCE
The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of William M.
Daley, of Illinois, to be Secretary of Commerce.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will be 30 minutes for debate on this
nomination to be equally divided between the chairman and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation.
Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, soon the Senate will vote on the
nomination of William Daley to be Secretary of the Department of
Commerce. Yesterday, the Commerce Committee reported favorably Mr.
Daley's nomination by a vote of 19 to 1. I hope the full Senate will
also vote overwhelmingly for Mr. Daley.
The confirmation of nominees by the Senate is a duty prescribed by
the Constitution. The advise-and-consent obligation given to the Senate
in the Constitution is an extremely important task. It should not and
must not be taken lightly. At the same time, I believe that it is the
President's prerogative to appoint whomever he chooses to
administration positions and that such nominees should only be opposed
and defeated if there is clear and compelling evidence that such
nominee is unfit or unable to serve the Nation. Such decision should be
made only after exhaustive questioning of the nominee and much soul
searching.
Mr. William Daley has been asked by the President to serve this
Nation as Secretary of the Department of Commerce. Three major lines of
questioning were asked by the committee:
What are Mr. Daley's qualifications to serve as Secretary? What are
Mr. Daley's plans for the Department? And what are Mr. Daley's policies
that would implement those plans?
Numerous questions regarding the Commerce Department have been asked
of the nominee. He has either fully answered the questions or has
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committed to providing the committee an answer in a timely fashion.
Mr. President, I am particularly pleased to announce that the
Department will cut 100 political appointees from its ranks. The
Department has a staggering 256 political appointment positions
available. Mr. Daley pledged to reduce that number by 100. He should be
strongly commended for this action.
Additionally, at his confirmation hearing, Mr. Daley announced that
all foreign trade missions would be halted until the Department, in
consultation with the Congress, develops a set of criteria designed to
ensure such missions are not politicized. We have all read the press
reports alleging that political quid pro quos were a part of such trade
missions. Promoting U.S. products abroad and opening foreign markets to
U.S. business, not electoral politics, should be the only purpose of
such missions.
Again, I am very pleased that Mr. Daley has agreed to work with the
committee to ensure that the occurrences of the past do not happen
again. I am very pleased that Mr. Daley has agreed to refrain from
preferential politics. Discretionary money appropriated to the
Department of Commerce should be allocated based on a set of standards
and fair criteria that do not give special treatment to any specific
locality or region.
Mr. Daley's commitment in this area is commendable. Mr. Daley has
also pledged to act expeditiously on any requests for information for
files if asked for by any congressional committee.
Mr. President, I think it is appropriate for me to say that we all
know that there are serious allegations concerning individuals who were
part of the Department of Commerce. Mr. Daley is aware of those
allegations. He is fully aware and appreciative of the obligation that
he has to refurbish the image of that Department because of the
activities of some. I am very confident that he is committed to doing
so and will be able to do so. He is an experienced, talented individual
who I believe is very capable of carrying out that daunting task.
Last, Mr. Daley promised to recuse himself from any issue that would
present a conflict of interest and to work to restore the integrity of
the Commerce Department. Such a task will certainly not be easy, but I
believe it can and must be done.
For the record, Mr. President, some press reports have raised
questions regarding Mr. Daley's past business and political activities.
Such reports infer that Mr. Daley or his family may have benefited
either personally or politically in certain circumstances. Those press
reports have been made part of the permanent committee record. All such
allegations were raised with the nominee and found to either lack
credibility, be proven false, or were fully explained to the
satisfaction of the committee.
Let me reiterate that point. Based on the evidence presented by all
concerned to the committee, the nominee has engaged in no activity that
would cause this Member to vote against him. In fact, the nominee has
taken great steps to rebut all allegations and explain the facts
surrounding them. After such explanations were forthcoming by the
nominee, the committee moved expeditiously to approve this nomination.
In closing, the Commerce Committee has looked into Mr. Daley's
qualifications and his fitness to serve, and we believe he is a fine
individual who will make an outstanding Commerce Secretary. Mr. Daley
has a tough road ahead of him. But I am confident he is up to the task.
He has already begun to demonstrate the leadership necessary to move
the Department into the next century.
I look forward--and I know I speak for all Members on my side of the
aisle--to working with the new Secretary and wish him and his family
the very best during their time here in Washington. Mr. President, I
strongly urge the Senate to confirm this nomination.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HOLLINGS addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
Mr. HOLLINGS. I am delighted to serve with my distinguished white-
haired chairman. My wife says when I appear on TV I look like a Q-Tip.
Mr. President, next week the President of the United States will be
delivering his State of the Union Message. The Union is in somewhat
disrepair, intense disrepair, I might say, because for 50 years after
World War II, with the Marshall plan, we sacrificed our economy. And it
has worked. Capitalism has overcome communism. They are going the way
of freedom and individual rights the world around now. But it has been
at quite a cost to our economic strength.
We have lost over 2 million jobs just in the past 10 years. Our
manufacturing sector has gone from 26 percent of our work force down to
13 percent. Now is the time to rebuild. In order to do that, we need a
very strong Secretary. I am pleased that President Clinton has chosen
an unusually strong Secretary in the person of Bill Daley of Chicago.
The fact of the matter is, for many years now he has been a business
leader, a business attorney, a banker, an outstanding civic leader, in
many respects, and more particularly we know him here in Washington as
a special counsel to President Clinton on extending the North American
Free-Trade Agreement from Canada down to Mexico. Necessarily, there was
quite a difference on this side of the aisle with respect to that
agreement, but be that as it may, Bill Daley handled that with
thoroughness and with tact and with persistence. And it passed with
strong bipartisan support.
He knows his subject of trade. He understands the business needs. He
is a very strong individual. He came to the assignment immediately
going over to brief himself on the Department and, as the distinguished
chairman has already pointed out, has announced, in unique form for a
nominee, that he was going to downsize some of the duplications there
in the Department itself and make sure that the trips were made for
industry and not for politics.
More than anything else, he is really intent on reestablishing the
morale of the Department with the loss of Ron Brown who did an
outstanding job as the Secretary of Commerce. And I say that advisedly
because I have been at least through a dozen or so in the last 30 years
and worked with them in that 30-year period, not only with respect to
the authorization of the Department, but the appropriations there.
Ron Brown did an outstanding job. Yes, there were some solicitations.
Thank heavens it was not solicitations by Ron Brown like most
Secretaries of Commerce. We had one Republican Secretary of Commerce go
to jail for his solicitations. If we have to get into solicitations, I
am going to be glad to make the record.
But the spirit here is one of bipartisanship in the support for Bill
Daley. I was particularly impressed that not only the distinguished
Democratic Senators, Senator Moseley-Braun of Illinois, and our
distinguished colleague, Senator Durbin of Illinois, were there to
present him in enthusiastic fashion, but he was presented to the
committee by none other than the chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee, the most respected Henry Hyde of Illinois, and the campaign
manager for Robert Dole's Presidency, the former Secretary of Defense,
Donald Rumsfeld.
So we have the respect and confidence of the leadership in Chicago
and Illinois that really knows him best. And it is with that record
here that he comes. I am particularly enthusiastic that President
Clinton has made this appointment. I want to yield now to our
distinguished colleague from Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Senator from South Carolina for yielding.
It is ironic that this is my first speech on the floor of the U.S.
Senate and that I am speaking on behalf of a gentleman whom I have
known for 25 years and one I am proud to support. I speak on my behalf
and on the behalf of the senior Senator from Illinois, Senator Carol
Moseley-Braun, in support of this nomination of Bill Daley to be our
new Secretary of Commerce.
Bill Daley, of course, is well known in the city of Chicago and
across this Nation. The Daley name carries with it certain connotations
of political leadership, mainly positive, maybe some negative on a
national basis. But those of us who know what the Daley legacy
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has been in the State of Illinois feel that it is overwhelmingly
positive because of the contribution that has been made to our State,
to the city of Chicago, and to this Nation by the Daley family over the
last few decades. It has been significant, significant in this respect:
The Daley family has been willing to step forward into public service
to face the slings and arrows that public figures face, and to lead.
And they have led, led our great city of Chicago forward, not only
under Mayor Richard J. Daley but now Richard M. Daley, and through the
other members of the Daley family.
William Daley--Bill Daley as we know him--has often been behind the
scenes, not on the center of the stage. Of course, when his father was
mayor, he was a young man. Now that his brother is mayor, and he is in
a capacity to play a larger role, many times he has stepped to the
side. He led in his own fashion, in his own way, and developed a
reputation in Chicago, and I think across this country, for leadership,
not only the obvious, leading in the city, in community endeavors,
charitable undertakings, making certain there was some vision from the
business community about the future of Chicago, but on the national
scene as well.
It is interesting that when President Clinton faced one of his
toughest challenges in his first term, in passing NAFTA, a
controversial issue even within the Democratic party, that he would
turn to Bill Daley of Chicago and say, ``Come to Washington. Use your
skills and leadership to help me pass this important trade agreement.''
When the dust had settled and NAFTA had passed, even the critics of
NAFTA gave credit to Bill Daley and said, ``Here is a man who could be
trusted.'' His door was open. His word was good. As I said at the
Commerce Committee, he showed the skills of a playmaker like Michael
Jordan, whose name may be known to even the Senator from South
Carolina. We are proud of the fact that Bill Daley has served this
country well. We think this designation of Bill Daley as the Secretary
of Commerce creates another opportunity for him to serve his Nation
well.
It is no surprise that the Department of Commerce has been under the
spotlight in the last several months, and some questions have been
raised, and I think deservedly so.
I want to salute my colleague from Arizona, Senator McCain, for
noting that there is need for reform in the Department of Commerce. I
say to Senator McCain, we could not choose a better person than Bill
Daley to bring about real reform, because he is a professional.
I have to also note the Senator's comments about investigations into
questions about his background have shown that they were fine, that he
comes to this job with the level of honesty and integrity that we
expect of Cabinet people and people in public service. He will be
tested to put together a team to bring about real reform in the
Department of Commerce. Bill Daley is going to meet that challenge. I
think he is going to rise to that occasion.
I might speak to one other point before yielding back. During the
course of this hearing and investigation, questions have arisen about
the future of the Department of Commerce. Some have even questioned
whether it should exist. I, for one, believe it plays a critically
important role. Now that the cold war is behind us, we are engaged in a
new war of equal proportion--a war over jobs, a war over opportunities,
a war to find, I guess, for the next generation of Americans, the same
opportunities other generations have enjoyed.
We cannot step back and hope that our reputation as a Yankee trader
will be all that is needed for us to win in that war. We need to be on
the front, in that battle, making certain that American workers and
businesses are treated fairly when it comes to world commerce. That is
the job of the Department of Commerce, one of the more important
responsibilities that it faces. I hope the Department of Commerce is
valued for that responsibility. It certainly is, in my estimation. I
know Bill Daley feels the same.
His background in business, in banking, in the practice of law, and
in public policy, make him uniquely qualified to come to this job in
the Department of Commerce and to serve his Nation well. I am happy to
stand today in support of this nomination. I hope that this body will
join me in giving a solid vote of support to the designation of Bill
Daley as our new Secretary of Commerce.
I thank the Senator from South Carolina for yielding me the time.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, Michael Jordan makes his money in
Chicago, but he spends it in South Carolina. We welcome him down there
regularly. I think he is a property owner by now in Hilton Head. I will
check it out, because that would be one of the few votes I could get on
Hilton Head.
Mr. President, the appointment of William Daley to head the
Department of Commerce comes at a critical juncture in our history. We
have emerged triumphant from our long struggle against the forces of
tyranny and totalitarianism. Our victory in the cold war was secured
through the commitment and sacrifice of the American people, who
willingly subordinated their economic interests to sustain the alliance
against Soviet expansionism. It was access to the rich American market
that enabled our allies to rise from the ashes and rebuild their
economies. For four decades the American market absorbed the world's
exports while our exporters confronted closed markets abroad. Our
generosity has taken a tremendous toll on the American economy. For the
past 20 years wages for the American worker have remained stagnant. The
average American now earns 20 percent less today than he or she earned
20 years ago. The toll has been most devastating in the manufacturing
sector. Manufacturing now accounts for a mere thirteen percent of our
GNP, half that of Germany or Japan. The most terrible price that we
paid was the loss of 2 million manufacturing jobs, which were the
backbone of the American economy.
Having triumphed abroad it is now time to rebuild at home. Restoring
the promise of America and rebuilding our economy will require the same
commitment and sacrifice that won the cold war. The Commerce Department
should be at the forefront of this effort. There are some, who in the
name of budget discipline, call for the Department's elimination. In an
era in which economic and national security are synonymous, eliminating
the Commerce Department would be tantamount to unilateral disarmament.
The budget will not be balanced by political gimmicks and symbolic
gestures. Abolishing the Commerce Department will not make a dent in
balancing the budget; what it will do is put us at a competitive
disadvantage in the global economy.
In today's new world economy American firms and American workers
compete against foreign companies whose governments are allies of
business, not adversaries. Where once we stood at the apex of the world
economy, now no industry in America is immune from this intense foreign
competition.
In market after market, industry after industry, U.S. companies
compete against foreign companies that are the beneficiaries of
strategic alliances with powerful ministries of trade and industry.
Those who believe that government has no role in supporting industry
and American workers seek to rewrite history and ignore the realities
of the new international competition. In the new global economy, the
line between public sector and private sector is at times indistinct.
Our competitors nurture industrial development through rigged capital
markets, generous subsidies, infant industry protection, and favorable
export incentives. The invisible hand of the free market did not
develop Korea's world class semiconductor industry. Instead it was the
iron fist of decrees laid down by Korea's Ministry of Trade, which kept
out foreign competition unless they licensed technology to Korean
companies. The iron fist was complemented by the largesse of Korea's
Finance Ministry which provided low interest loans to foster the
development of its industries.
The invisible hand of the market did not create Airbus, nor does it
guide the development of the faster growing economies in the Pacific
rim, which are following the Japanese model of development. The irony
is that the market alone was not responsible for the development of our
own industrial
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base. From Alexander Hamilton's ``Report on Manufactures,'' to the
revolution in information technology initiated through research
conducted by the Department of Defense, our economic strength has been
fortified by a symbiotic relationship between government and the
private sector.
The strong Commerce Department is an essential prerequisite for
competing in the global economy. The Commerce Department, through its
technology administration, plays a crucial role in developing the
critical technologies of the future. Although the National Institute
for Standards and Technology [NIST] accounts for only 1 percent of the
U.S. research and development budget--it is the principal program
dedicated to fostering critical technologies that have a commercial
application. U.S. companies face great pressure to deliver short run
returns for the fund managers who dominate America's capital markets.
As the Wall Street Journal noted, ``the biggest U.S. companies have cut
back sharply on research into `basic science' to pursue short term
goals * * *.'' This alarming trend did not go unnoticed by the Council
on Competitiveness, which noted, ``Long-term investments rates as a
percentage of GDP are falling just when Asian and European competitors
are ramping up their R&D programs.'' This is why it is crucial that we
maintain our Advanced Technology Program. It enables industry and
government to join forces in carrying out broad-based, long-term, peer-
reviewed projects that could have large payoffs down the road.
Eliminating the Government's role in technological development will
consign our economy to second-rate status. Furthermore, it would allow
Asians and Europeans to dominate the emerging technologies which will
create the jobs of the future.
Not only does the Commerce Department play a critical role in
fostering technology, it plays an equally important role in protecting
U.S. industries from the predatory trade practices that have crippled
many of our domestic industries. Vigorous enforcement of our
antidumping laws is crucial to maintaining our standard of living. Far
too often our competitors have hidden behind a citadel of protection in
their home markets while simultaneously flooding our economy with
illegally dumped products. A Commerce Department that aggressively
enforces our trade laws will enable U.S. companies to sustain their
investment in strategic technologies and keep jobs at home.
Strengthening the Commerce Department will require a strong
Secretary. Bill Daley fits that description. He has been both a civic
leader and a business leader. Those of us who opposed NAFTA know him as
a worthy adversary, a man who gets things done. More important, Bill
Daley is a man who understands what a privilege and an honor it is to
be a public servant. While it may be fashionable in some quarters to
denigrate public servants, this nominee knows how effective government
can change people's lives for the better.
I urge my colleagues to vote to confirm this excellent appointment.
Mr. President, let me emphasize once again the point made by both our
distinguished chairman and distinguished colleague, Senator Durbin. The
Commerce Department has got to be in this front line now of rebuilding
our economic strength--a very, very important division within the
Department, foreign commercial services, the International Trade
Administration. The consensus, I should emphasize to my friends, that
while we are spending some $600 million, in a couple of years that
budget that is getting ready for the next millennium that everyone is
talking about, that budget will jump to $1.5 billion. I can see some
saying, ``Heavens above, this is a runaway Department.'' But these
endeavors cost, and we want to make sure that they do a credible job,
as they have been doing, in my opinion.
We have the very strong divisions in there with respect to the
Economic Development Administration that has worked extremely well over
the years now, and the Department has a group of the best professionals
with respect to this global competition. When the special trade
representative, when the State Department and others come and try to
learn the facts, it is our Department of Commerce that furnishes the
weaponry, so to speak, the statistics, the findings, and everything
else as to exactly where we are and how well we are doing to give them
credibility in their negotiations.
So, to have the brilliance of Bill Daley of Chicago come to head up
the Department, the conscientious nature that he has already displayed
with respect to taking over these duties is heartening to this
particular Senator, and I am delighted to be with our distinguished
chairman in endorsing his nomination.
Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, I am very pleased to be able to
speak on behalf of the nomination of William M. Daley to be the
Secretary of Commerce. At the outset, I want to congratulate the
President for selecting Bill Daley. I do not believe he could have made
a better choice to lead the Department of Commerce into the new
century.
The Department of Commerce has a long and distinguished history, but
it is a department that sometimes seems to lack focus. Its mission
includes things as diverse forecasting the weather, handling patents
and trademarks, conducting the census, travel and tourism, and
international trade. What brings all of these diverse subjects together
however, is one overriding mission: assisting Americans in enhancing
the competitiveness of the United States in the world economy. The
Department of Commerce does not control the competitiveness of our
economy, but its work opens up competitive opportunities for the
private sector, and helps the private sector obtain the information it
needs to realize its competitive potential.
The Department's mission goes beyond the dry names of its
subagencies. It is part of the foundation of our economy. It helps open
doors abroad for U.S. exporters. It helps us know where we stand, and
where we might be going. It gives us the kind of data that helps both
American business and American workers achieve a brighter, more
prosperous future. It is an advocate for economic growth, and helps
build the kind of broader, stronger trade links on which our future
economic success in no small part depends.
Bill Daley has the background, the talent, the integrity, the energy,
and the determination to ensure that the Commerce Department reaches
its full potential as an asset for U.S. economic growth. He is the
ideal person to build on the great work done by Mickey Kantor and the
late Ron Brown.
His past accomplishments demonstrate what he will be able to achieve
as Secretary. He is a real leader, both in Illinois and nationally. He
has a strong record in the private sector, and an equally strong record
in public and civic affairs. His resume is a distinguished one. It
includes serving as:
President and chief operating officer of the Amalgamated Bank of
Chicago;
Special counsel to the President for the North American Free-Trade
Agreement in the fall of 1993, helping President Clinton achieve
passage of that major trade agreement;
A senior partner at one of Chicago's most prestigious law firms,
Mayer, Brown & Platt; and
Cochair of Chicago 96, the nonpartisan, not for profit host committee
that so successfully oversaw the city and community planning for the
1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago.
Bill Daley was born and raised in Illinois, and he was also educated
in Illinois. His undergraduate degree is from Loyola University in
Chicago, and he holds a L.L.B. from the John Marshall Law School in
Chicago.
If I may be permitted a moment of regional chauvinism, I will say
that Bill Daley has all the Midwestern virtues. He has an uncommon
amount of common sense, he is an extremely hard worker, he is
unpretentious, his life exemplifies the kind of family values we talk
about so much here in Washington; and he is always focused on getting
the job done. He is a skilled lawyer, an extraordinary negotiator, and
an executive of rare ability. He has the kind of good judgment that
makes him a person who is always being called on for help, and he has
never failed to provide that help. And while most of his career has
been in the private sector, he has unstintingly given of his time to
public and charitable causes. Like his brothers, and his father before
him, he has a real commitment to public and community service. Like all
of the
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other members of his family, he is deeply patriotic, and dedicated to
doing everything he can to help all of our people and every part of our
country build an ever-brighter, ever-more prosperous future.
Bill Daley has the talent to manage a large, diverse organization
like the Department of Commerce, and he is the kind of person that will
make the Department run more efficiently and effectively. He
understands business, and he knows how important it is for the United
States to compete successfully in the world economy.
This is a time of enormous change, not just in our economy, but also
in the Commerce Department. I cannot think of a person better suited to
making the necessary reforms so that the Commerce Department can
successfully meet the challenges of the new century that will soon be
upon us. I know he will make a first-rate Secretary of Commerce, and I
strongly recommend that the Senate act expeditiously and favorably on
his nomination.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise to express my support for the
confirmation of Mr. William Daley as the next Secretary of Commerce.
I am glad to learn that Mr. Daley recognizes the need to streamline
the Commerce Department and that he is willing to perform a top to
bottom review of its agencies and programs to ensure productivity and
efficiency. In addition, I am hopeful that Mr. Daley will address the
numerous concerns which have hampered this Department's effectiveness
in the recent past and that he will strive to restore the Department's
good reputation.
As we enter into the 21st century, America must make new strides to
ensure its strong standing in the ever growing global economy. We must
continue to further our ties with foreign nations and businesses so
that our economy will continue to be the engine that drives the world's
prosperity.
Although our economy continues to grow yearly, I believe we should be
concerned with how slow that rate of growth has been. Small businesses
are the backbone of our national economy and I am hopeful that Mr.
Daley will focus more attention on promoting the role of small business
in foreign trade. With only 12 percent of our small businesses
participating in foreign markets, I believe we have to focus more
attention and resources to promoting their interests worldwide.
As it did with NAFTA and GATT, we need the Commerce Department to
continue to open new markets. Additionally, the Department of Commerce
must ensure that our trade partners comply with the promises set forth
in all such agreements. As competition around the world becomes
stronger by the day, the Department of Commerce, under its new
Secretary, must strive to guarantee a level playing field to ensure the
economic future of the American people.
With nearly one-fourth of our gross domestic product resulting from
exports and with more than 11 million workers owing their jobs to their
employer's overseas business, Mr. Daley's work as Secretary of Commerce
will be felt nationwide.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, it is with regret that I announce that
today I will be voting in opposition to the nomination of William M.
Daley to the position of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Commerce. While Mr. Daley's character and his distinguished career in
public service demonstrate that he has the qualifications for the
position to which he has been nominated, these qualifications are
necessary, but in and of themselves, not sufficient to merit my vote.
My chief concerns regarding Mr. Daley's suitability for the position
reflect: First, questions over his willingness and commitment to deal
with corporate welfare in the agency; and second, his commitment to
engage in the fundamental overhaul of a Department whose management
practices and many missions have been called into question by numerous
reports by the Department's inspector general and by the General
Accounting Office.
Corporate welfare has no place in this Government today. Mr. Daley
generally agrees we should not have corporate welfare in the Federal
Government. However, he disagrees with the appropriate definition of
corporate welfare. I asked repeatedly for a specific commitment from
him to study whether corporate welfare was being doled out by the
agency. He was unwilling to do so, although he made a similar
commitment with respect to the issue of foreign trips conducted by the
agency.
My second concern is the redundancies at the Department of Commerce.
According to a recent GAO study the Department of Commerce functions
are duplicated 71 times throughout the Federal Government. I discussed
this problem with Mr. Daley during the hearing. He stated that he would
consider the issue, but made no specific commitments as to when he
would address the issue nor in what quantity. He would not commit to
report to Congress within 6 months or 1 year on these known
redundancies nor would he commit to cutting back the number of
redundancies by a minimum of even 10 percent. He did make such specific
commitments regarding political appointees, which he agreed to reduce
by 100.
Because Mr. Daley has refused to make specific commitments to address
these problems I do not support his nomination. The next Secretary of
Commerce should be someone who recognizes the seriousness of these
problems, and who is committed to addressing them.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate William
Daley on his nomination to be Commerce Secretary of the United States.
I believe his lifelong experience in the private sector and strong
record of public service will provide him with an extraordinary range
of skills that make him unquestionably qualified for this position.
First, he will bring a business perspective to the Department of
Commerce. From the insurance industry, to a law practice that
specialized in international trade, to serving as president of the
Amalgamated Bank, William Daley understands the needs of the private
sector.
As a special counsel to President Clinton during the debate over the
North American Free-Trade Agreement, he also demonstrated an ability to
work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and was instrumental in
securing its congressional approval.
And finally, William Daley believes in the responsibility of the
Department of Commerce to enhance the competitiveness of American
companies in the global marketplace. He knows that our economy cannot
grow without the strength of new ideas and a lasting commitment to the
risk takers who develop them.
As a successful businessman and a dedicated public servant, I am
confident that William Daley will build on the legacy of Mickey Kantor
and the late Ron Brown, whose tireless efforts created countless new
opportunities for American companies around the world.
As Commerce Secretary, William Daley will be an energetic promoter of
our business interests, a skilled negotiator in opening new markets,
and a visionary who believes in the value of researching and developing
new products and ideas.
I look forward to working with him in advancing the interests of the
American business community in the years ahead.
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I am pleased to support Bill Daley to be
the next Secretary of Commerce. In his appearance before the Senate
Commerce Committee, Mr. Daley impressed me and other members with his
energy, his enthusiasm, and his firm grasp of the challenges faced by
American companies attempting to compete in the world marketplace. In
my view, Mr. Daley demonstrated that he possesses the qualities,
energy, and instincts necessary to be a successful Secretary, and to
lead the Commerce Department into the 21st century.
We all regret that, in recent years, the Department of Commerce has
become the target of a great deal of criticism. Though some of this
criticism may be warranted, in my view most of the criticism is not
aimed at creating a better or more efficient Department but instead is
an attempt to sacrifice valuable and important Federal activities for
short-term ideological and partisan gain. Nevertheless, I applaud Mr.
Daley for his forthright acknowledgment of the criticism and his
commitment to address several of the concerns raised. His pledge to
review the process
[[Page S828]]
by which persons are selected to accompany Department officials on
trade missions abroad and his promise to reduce the number of political
appointees at the Department are a strong testament of the sincerity of
Mr. Daley's commitment.
From conversations with leaders of the Massachusetts business
community, and especially with those who run the small businesses that
are the engines of economic growth in my State, there is broad support
for the functions performed by the Commerce Department, and there is
near unanimous agreement that the U.S. Government must aggressively
assist U.S. companies attempting to develop and utilize new
technologies, and enter new markets overseas. Small and emerging
companies in Massachusetts have benefited greatly from several Commerce
programs. The Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing
Extension Service are both excellent examples of government making
smart investments in emerging companies. The evidence for both of these
programs demonstrates that each dollar invested generates many more in
return. The same is true for the programs administered by the Trade
Promotion Coordinating Committee and the U.S. Foreign Commercial
Service. The one-stop-shop trade center in Boston has helped hundreds
of New England companies develop and expand markets overseas. Finally,
the Economic Development Administration remains one of the few
resources that cities can call on for capital planning or capital
project assistance that will boost their economies and create jobs. For
this reason, the EDA must be maintained and strengthened.
A vital but not-as-well-known arm of the Commerce Department is the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I consider NOAA to be
one of the Federal Government's premier scientific research and
resource management agencies, with responsibility for the stewardship
of our marine resources, management of our coastal zone, and operation
of the National Weather Service, environmental satellite systems and a
fleet of oceanographic research vessels. These oceanic and atmospheric
programs are a critical component in the integrated effort to study and
maintain the Earth's ecosystem.
Other Commerce agencies, such as the National Institute of Standards,
the Census Bureau, and the Patent and Trademark Office perform missions
that are necessary to our economic and governmental functioning. In my
view, the Commerce Department is in a unique position with
responsibility for trade, technology, and environmental matters, and
this presents Mr. Daley with a special opportunity: to successfully
integrate U.S. policy on economic and environmental issues. After
following his impressive career and after carefully listening to his
recent testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee, I have every
confidence that Mr. Daley understands and appreciates this unique
mission. I support his confirmation, and I urge my colleagues to do the
same.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am delighted that the Senate will give
its approval today to the nomination of William M. Daley to be
Secretary of Commerce.
Mr. Daley is with the Chicago, IL, law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt.
He previously served as the president and chief operating officer of
Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, and as special counsel to the President
for the North American Free-Trade Agreement. I believe Mr. Daley's
background and experiences will be of tremendous benefit to America's
businesses as they navigate their way through the global economic
marketplace in which they now operate.
It is particularly important to my home State of California that the
Department of Commerce have a strong and effective leader. Bill Daley
will be such a leader.
California is the Nation's leading exporter. Last year, California
accounted for 16 percent--$90 billion--of the Nation's exports, an
increase of almost $14 billion over the 1994 levels. This tremendous
amount of exports supported approximately 1 million Californian jobs.
From the period 1987 to 1995, California realized the largest dollar
growth in merchandise exports--$59.1 billion--of any State. As a member
of the International Finance Subcommittee, I look forward to working
with Secretary Daley on the issue of exports and on a host of other
issues of importance to the businesses in my home State of California.
In addition to the issues facing California businesses, there are
also many significant and important issues, and challenges, facing our
Nation as a whole as we move forward into the 21st century and begin to
shift from an industrial base to a technological base in an information
society. Bill Daley has the know-how, vision, and leadership necessary
to effectively guide us across the bridge into the 21st century.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, it is the wish of the majority leader that
we not vote until 10 o'clock. I do not have a lot of additional
comments to make about the nominee that I did not already make.
I appreciate the overall broad bipartisan support that has been given
this nominee. I think he appreciates it as well. Because of the
importance of working on these issues on a nonpartisan basis, the issue
that Senator Durbin and Senator Hollings raise about trade are
accurate.
I point out to my colleagues, yes, the Department of Commerce and
Secretary of Commerce has a very important role to play in the conduct
of trade and fostering relations and helping U.S. businesses compete
abroad, and I also appreciate the Senator from Illinois' comments about
the new kind of war we are in. But the problem has been, I point out,
that there has been a lack of coordination and coherence to the conduct
of these policies, where on the one hand we send our human rights
secretary from the State Department, who bashes this particular
country, in this one case, China, on human rights violations; and then
our Secretary of Defense goes over, a very close and warm relationship
with their military establishment--who, also, by the way, run many of
these companies and corporations in China; and then our Commerce
Secretary goes over and has an entirely different environment.
I think the President of the United States understands better, but
not completely, the absolute requirement that if we are going to have a
coherent foreign policy, which is probably the most important, single,
fundamental conduct of foreign and trade policy, then we all have to
have a coordinated effort, led by the President of the United States.
Yes, human rights plays an important role in our relations with foreign
countries; yes, in the furtherance of the United States' national
security interests; yes, providing access and an equal playing field
for U.S. companies and corporations to compete, especially in emerging
nation markets, is important, but there cannot be discordant voices and
disjointed messages to these people, otherwise they become confused and
sometimes enraged, because you cannot tell the rulers of China, ``By
the way, I have no relationship whatever.''
On one occasion they were told by our State Department that the
President of Taiwan would not visit the United States of America. Two
weeks later it was announced that the President of Taiwan was being
given a visa to visit the United States of America.
Now, I could argue both sides of that position, but I cannot argue
for that methodology. There is no excuse for that kind of methodology.
You either say and make sure that the President of Taiwan visits the
United States or you say that he will not--one of the two. But
especially when we are talking about the power shift that is going on
right now, a transition, with the leader who has taken longer to die
than the Ayatollah Khomeini, and emerging, if not aggressive, certainly
assertive behavior in the region, trade has an important role. But it
has got to be part of an overall foreign policy. That has been and will
be my major criticism of this administration's conduct of foreign
policy.
I am pleased to say from my conversations with Secretary Daley that
he understands that. He understands how important it is to coordinate
his efforts with those of the President, the Secretary of State, the
National Security Adviser and others so we can shape a far more
effective foreign policy, which at the end of the day will help us
immeasurably in our efforts in increasing trade than some of the kinds
of modus operandi we have seen in the
[[Page S829]]
past. I am convinced our nominee has that understanding and that
commitment.
I was interested and appreciated my dear friend's, Senator Hollings,
comments about Mr. Daley's efforts on behalf of NAFTA. I do believe
that Mr. Daley did a very effective and important job in that effort. I
know that both my colleagues here on the floor were aware of his effort
at that particular point, showing his ability to work with the Congress
of the United States on both sides of the aisle.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, the problem of China is most
frustrating. I guess the question is, how best do we extend freedom and
individual rights in a country of that kind? It is very difficult for a
nation with a 220-year history to tell a culture and nation of 3,000 to
5,000 years of age what to do and how to do it, particularly a country,
Mr. President, of 1.2 billion.
If you have ever dealt with China, you understand immediately that
human rights begins, first, with hunger. That is the first human right
in the People's Republic. They have to feed 1.2 billion. The second
human right is that of housing. The third human right is perhaps
education. The fourth human right is ours--one man, one vote. If you
start off on the other end of the spectrum, one man, one vote, you have
chaos. I say that advisedly.
I wish I had the time as a southern Governor, because I stand with
pride--no life was lost, no one was hurt during my 4 years. I
integrated, as the distinguished president pro tempore's alma mater,
Clemson University, in a peaceful fashion. We have a track record. We
know how you have to handle crowds and make sure no one is hurt.
That approach to China with respect to commercialization and
capitalization, I think, is going to be better than confrontation. It
is good to come and say we will not trade with you unless you do A, B,
and C; however, the others are going to trade with them. It is a
nonstarter. It just will not work. The Germans, the French, and the
Japanese are in there like gangbusters, and we cannot use that
particular tool.
The bottom line, you can look at democratic India and its approach
and you can look at the People's Republic and you may reason that
perhaps the People's Republic approach will extend more housing, more
feeding, more education in the next 10 or 20 years than the democratic
India. It is going to be interesting to follow.
But mind you me, China is there. They feel very strongly with respect
to Taiwan, to Hong Kong and those possessions that have been taken from
them, and their stand has been recognized by us in our foreign policy.
We have to be more realistic in its treatment. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time of the Senator has expired.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. McCAIN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum
call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCAIN. I ask for the yeas and nays on the nomination of William
Daley as Secretary of Commerce.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith). The question is, Will the Senate
advise and consent to the nomination of Andrew M. Cuomo, of New York,
to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development? On this question, the
yeas and nays have been ordered, and the clerk will call the roll.
Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Missouri [Mr. Bond],
the Senator from New York [Mr. D'Amato], and the Senator from Texas
[Mrs. Hutchison] are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 95, nays 2, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 4 Ex.]
YEAS--95
Abraham
Akaka
Allard
Ashcroft
Baucus
Bennett
Biden
Bingaman
Boxer
Breaux
Bryan
Bumpers
Burns
Byrd
Campbell
Chafee
Cleland
Coats
Cochran
Collins
Conrad
Coverdell
Craig
Daschle
DeWine
Dodd
Domenici
Dorgan
Durbin
Enzi
Faircloth
Feingold
Feinstein
Ford
Frist
Glenn
Gorton
Graham
Gramm
Grams
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Harkin
Hatch
Helms
Hollings
Hutchinson
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kempthorne
Kennedy
Kerrey
Kerry
Kohl
Kyl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lott
Lugar
Mack
McCain
McConnell
Mikulski
Moseley-Braun
Moynihan
Murkowski
Murray
Nickles
Reed
Reid
Robb
Roberts
Rockefeller
Roth
Santorum
Sarbanes
Sessions
Shelby
Smith, Bob
Smith, Gordon
Snowe
Specter
Stevens
Thomas
Thompson
Thurmond
Torricelli
Warner
Wellstone
Wyden
NAYS--2
Brownback
Inhofe
NOT VOTING--3
Bond
D'Amato
Hutchison
The nomination was confirmed.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Enzi). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The majority leader is recognized.
____________________