[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 102 (Thursday, July 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMENDATION OF GEN. BARRY McCAFFREY

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, during the consideration of the foreign 
operations appropriations bill yesterday, I offered an amendment along 
with Senator McCain on the drug certification issue. During the course 
of that debate, some references were made to Gen. Barry McCaffrey that 
I thought were unfortunate and incorrect.
  John McCain, our colleague from Arizona, rightly stood up and pointed 
out that Barry McCaffrey, whatever one's views may have been on the 
certification issue, enjoys, I think, without any question, the 
tremendous confidence of the Members of this body. We may disagree on 
various policy issues. I wanted to associate myself with Senator 
McCain's remarks and express my gratitude to General McCaffrey for 
taking on this job, one of the most difficult jobs in Government, that 
is, to be the drug czar.
  Mr. President, I wanted to express my confidence, and I am confident 
the confidence of my colleagues, in Barry McCaffrey. This is a very 
difficult job he has taken on. It is tremendously complex. It is 
obviously a source of great, great disturbance in this country to watch 
the ever-increasing proliferation of illegal drugs, and obviously there 
is a domestic feature to this and there is an international feature to 
it. His job is not an easy one and he has to deal with people all over 
the globe. I think he does so with a great deal of integrity, 
seriousness, and forthrightness. He has been tremendously responsive to 
those of us up here on Capitol Hill who care about this issue.
  I thank Senator McCain for his remarks yesterday and associate 
myself, as I said, with those remarks, and once again express my high 
degree of confidence in the General and my appreciation as well for the 
work he has done.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

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