[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 29, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3783-S3784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NOMINATION OF ALEXIS HERMAN

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on an issue that is 
important to many Rhode Islanders and I believe touches on the 
credibility of this body. I would like to add my voice to the voice of 
many of my colleagues in support of Alexis Herman as the Secretary of 
Labor. The appointment of Alexis Herman was approved by the Labor and 
Human Resources Committee unanimously on April 10, almost 3 weeks ago. 
This unanimous vote came after an appropriately arduous examination of 
Ms. Herman's record. She spent months successfully completing a far-
reaching questionnaire submitted by the majority. She subsequently came 
before the committee and spent hours testifying as to her past 
accomplishments and her vision for the Department of Labor. She 
completed these tasks successfully, and a full vote of the Senate was 
originally scheduled for April 16.
  Yet, that vote has now been placed on indefinite hold. I believe this 
reflects poorly on this body. We have asked Ms. Herman to defend her 
record and outline her agenda for the Department of Labor. She has done 
that. Indeed, she has performed that task well enough to gain the 
unanimous support of our committee. We now owe her the courtesy of 
consideration by the full Senate. Not only do we owe this courtesy to 
Ms. Herman, but we have a duty to hard-working men and women in this 
country to have their interests adequately represented in the Cabinet 
of the President of the United States. Every day policy decisions 
affecting workers go unaddressed because there is no Secretary.
  While some may take financial stability for granted in today's 
economy, we in Rhode Island certainly do not. The Department of Labor 
has played a consistent and productive role in helping Rhode Island to 
cope with the economic challenges that it faces. We need a Secretary of 
Labor to help us continue in these efforts.

  Economically, Rhode Island has been hard hit by changing economic 
conditions and defense downsizing.
  In the late 1980's and early 1990's we lost over 10 percent of our 
manufacturing jobs due mostly to defense downsizing but also to changes 
in the economy. These effects continue to plague our economy. 
Thankfully, the Department of Labor, under the leadership of then 
Secretary Reich, was there consistently to provide assistance in 
lessening the burden of this impact on working Rhode Islanders. For 
example, in December of 1995, Rhode Island's largest grocery store, 
Almacs, declared bankruptcy immediately before Christmas. This 
bankruptcy resulted in Rhode Island's single largest layoff, over 2,000 
workers, immediately before the 1995 holidays. The private sector 
committed what they could, volunteering food, holiday gifts and job 
placement services, but the former employees faced severe hardship.

[[Page S3784]]

  Then the Department of Labor stepped in to assist. They provided a 
total of $4.3 million to retrain 90 percent of the former Almacs 
workers who did not find employment in other grocery stores. This 
assistance came about because I was able to directly share the hardship 
of my constituents with the Secretary of Labor. Indeed, because the 
Congress had shut down the Federal Government at that time, several 
additional hurdles had to be overcome to help the people from Almacs.
  Thankfully, because of the work of the Secretary, those hurdles were 
overcome and my constituents were provided the services they 
desperately needed and, indeed, deserved.
  Just as in 1995, I am afraid that we are again confronted with a 
callous disregard for the working people of this country. They deserve 
a Secretary of Labor. Ms. Herman deserves a vote. Let us get on with 
this process. If you will, vote against her, but give her the 
opportunity to have her case heard here on the floor of the Senate and 
the decision made, not by inaction, but by the votes of the men and 
women of this body.
  I yield the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

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