[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2627-S2629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE NOMINATION OF PETE PETERSON

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise this evening to address an issue 
which is one that many of us have labored over for decades, the legacy 
of the Vietnam war.
  So many people have said and written that the returning veterans did 
not receive the credit which they deserved for putting their lives on 
the line for our Nation. Regardless of the wisdom or popularity of that 
war, so many of those veterans came home and, frankly, found it 
difficult to start their lives again in America.
  In this Congress of the United States about 12,000 men and women have 
served in the House of Representatives, and it is my understanding that 
1,843 men and women have served in this U.S. Senate.
  It was my good fortune to serve in the House before I came to the 
Senate and my better fortune to meet an extraordinary individual in the 
House of Representatives, a Vietnam veteran, who had an amazing story 
to tell. This colleague of mine in the House from the State of Florida, 
Pete Peterson, was an Air Force pilot in the Vietnam war. Pete served 
27 years in the Air Force. He gave most of his adult life in service to 
his country. But the most amazing part of his service in Vietnam was 
not in an airplane in the clouds but on the ground. For 6\1/2\ years 
Pete

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Peterson was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
  He is a very soft-spoken and friendly person. He hardly ever brings 
up the subject about his military service. But one day over lunch, I 
said, ``Pete, if you are not uncomfortable to talk about it, tell us 
what you remember about those 6\1/2\ years.'' For the next hour Pete 
spoke and answered our questions from his colleagues in the House. I 
will tell you that my memory of that conversation will be with me for 
the rest of my life. To try for a moment to envision or imagine what it 
must have been like to spend 6\1/2\ years in a prison camp in North 
Vietnam is almost beyond any of us. He talked about the deprivations, 
physical and mental, and how he managed to survive.
  Pete is not one to boast about it. He is not alone in having gone 
through that experience. Our colleague from Arizona, Senator John 
McCain, had a similar experience as prisoner of war in Vietnam. I have 
not spoken to my colleague, John McCain about it. But I read about it 
in a book published recently entitled ``The Nightingale Song,'' which 
told the history and the story of others who went through that 
experience.
  The interesting thing about Pete Peterson is that he came out of that 
experience, went to work in Florida, and decided that there was more to 
give to this country. So he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives 
and was elected.

  Then in April of last year President Clinton turned to then 
Congressman Pete Peterson and asked him to undertake what was a major 
responsibility, to serve as the first U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. It 
was a controversial posting. Some in this body and others really 
questioned whether or not we should have diplomatic relations. But 
many, like Pete Peterson and John McCain, believe that we have reached 
that moment in history where the best thing for both of our countries 
is to have diplomatic relations. I thought the President made a wise 
choice.
  Those who watched the program 60 Minutes which was on last Sunday 
night may have seen the segment about Pete Peterson, once a downed 
pilot in a rice paddy in Vietnam, pushed away into a prison camp for 
6\1/2\ years, now with the opportunity to return as the Ambassador from 
the United States of America to Vietnam and, I am certain, to return to 
that same village and meet the people who held him at bay and pushed 
him into that prisoner-of-war camp.
  So Pete Peterson's name was put up and suggested, and the reaction 
was positive. People said what a fitting choice to take someone who has 
been through this life experience, who has endured this time as a 
prisoner of war, and to ask him to serve as our Ambassador in Vietnam.
  Of course, his name was submitted to the Senate at that point for 
confirmation. Some problems arose and questions about whether or not as 
a sitting Congressman he could be appointed to a post that was created 
during his term in office. But after all was said and done, his name 
was resubmitted this year in January, and he received a favorable 
hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In fact, his 
sponsors at his hearing included not only his home State Senator, 
Senator Graham of Florida, but also Senator John McCain, a man from the 
opposite side of the aisle who identified with Pete's experience and 
said that he would be an excellent choice as the Ambassador to Vietnam.
  So we come this evening to the Chamber in the hopes that we can make 
it clear that his name, Pete Peterson's name, will come before this 
Senate for consideration and, I hope, confirmation in the very near 
future.
  The majority leader, Senator Lott, and I had a conversation on this 
subject earlier in the day. He was kind enough to return to the Chamber 
for this moment to speak to this issue. I thank my colleague for doing 
that. I will at this point yield the floor so the Senator from 
Mississippi may make comments on this confirmation of Pete Peterson.
  Mr. LOTT addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. If the Senator from Illinois will yield, I will be glad to 
respond to his comments. They have certainly been very good ones.
  We all understand and appreciate and agree with the remarks about the 
tremendous service and the quality of man that Pete Peterson is. I am 
satisfied that he would be a great representative for our country in 
any position, whether it be an easy one, great luxury, or a tough one, 
as this one will be when he is confirmed.
  The Senator is right that there are those of us in the Chamber and in 
America who doubt the wisdom of going forward with this normalization 
with Vietnam for a variety of reasons. Particularly, the Senator from 
New Hampshire, Mr. Smith, has raised a lot of questions and concerns 
over the years about POWs and missing in action, accounting for those 
POWs. He is very concerned about those servicemen that have not been 
identified, have not been accounted for. He has made that very clear. 
He has serious doubts that Vietnam is actually doing all that it can do 
or all it has said it would do in moving toward normalization and 
accounting for those POW/MIAs, and he has asked me as majority leader 
in a very good, strong letter, lengthy letter to give him an 
opportunity to ask some questions and get some answers.
  I try to honor that kind of request for any Senator on either side of 
the aisle whenever I can within reason. And I have also joined him 
through my staff that deals with the Intelligence Committee to work 
with the intelligence staff to try to get a report or reports in 
response to the questions that Senator Smith has asked.
  Those reports may not be sufficient or they may not be good, but 
Senator Smith has indicated he has no desire to hold this nomination up 
at length. In fact, I think he would agree with me and the Senator that 
this is an excellent choice for any position.
  So it is my intent, barring some unforeseen complication, that this 
nomination would be brought up on Tuesday or Wednesday the week we come 
back. I believe that would be the 8th or 9th. I do not think it would 
be appropriate to hold it up beyond that. And again, barring something 
that I cannot imagine right now--and, of course, assuming that over the 
next 2\1/2\ weeks we will get these reports--we would call that 
nomination up. I think we would be able to do that, and I certainly 
want to. I do not see any reason why we would not be able to based on 
my conversations with Senator Smith.
  We appreciate the interest of the Senator in his former colleague 
from the House, and look forward to working with the Senator on this 
and other issues.
  Mr. DURBIN. I thank the majority leader. This will be good news in 
Marianna, FL, where Pete Peterson is waiting for word on his new 
assignment. He has accepted the important assignment for this country. 
He has given so much more than any of us have ever been asked to give. 
And this new assignment to Vietnam is one that Pete takes very 
seriously.
  My colleague and friend from Mississippi, the majority leader, has 
raised an important critical issue of the unaccounted for POWs and 
MIAs. I cannot think of a person who will take that responsibility more 
seriously than Pete Peterson, who knows men whom he served with in the 
Air Force and other branches who are not accounted for. And I am 
certain that he will work with diligence to try to establish their 
whereabouts to the satisfaction of their families as quickly as 
possible.
  Of course, in terms of our relations with Vietnam, that debate will 
go on, and our relationship with that country will be decided based on 
the conduct of Vietnam toward the United States and vice versa. A man 
of Pete Peterson's stature I think will enhance that relationship, and 
I am confident that when he is called for consideration on Tuesday or 
Wednesday after we return, he will receive strong bipartisan support 
for this assignment.
  I thank the majority leader for coming to the floor. I know he has a 
very busy schedule, but I consider this an important matter, as I am 
sure he does. I appreciate his cooperation. I thank my colleague from 
Arkansas for giving me this opportunity to speak first.
  I yield back my time.
  Mr. LOTT addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Will the Senator from Arkansas allow me to put a couple 
brief

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statements in the Record and make a unanimous consent request. This 
should not take very long at all.
  Mr. BUMPERS. My pleasure, Mr. President.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator.

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