[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8516-S8519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I appreciate the cooperation of all Senators
on both sides of the aisle, as we have cleared these lists. When we get
through today, we hope to have cleared most of the Executive Calendar.
We have some that are still being held for matching nominations, some
reservations on both sides. But when we get through here, I believe we
will have cleared all that is on the calendar, except maybe those that
have just been reported today and maybe just eight or nine others that
we are still working on.
I appreciate, again, the support that we have had from Senators on
both sides and from the Democratic leader.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to
executive session to consider the following nominations on the
Executive Calendar: Nos. 121 through 127, 133, 134, 166 through 170,
171, 172, 173, 174, 175 through 178, 179, 182 through 185, 201, 203,
204, 205 through 223, 225 through 232, and all nominations placed on
the Secretary's desk in the Foreign Service.
I finally ask consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be
discharged from further consideration of George Munoz, to be president
of OPIC. I understand that before the Senate confirms the above
nominations, there are several Senators who may like to speak.
I further ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed,
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, any statements
relating to the nominations appear at the appropriate place in the
Record, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action,
and the Senate then return to legislative session.
I might note, Mr. President, we are still trying to clear some other
nominations. There may be another opportunity before the night is over
to clear some other nominations. Some of these nominations did not
actually get reported from the committees until today. We are
scrambling to try to see if we can get them confirmed so they can begin
their service during the August recess. Therefore, that completes my
unanimous consent request.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I first
want to commend the distinguished majority leader for his work in
helping us clear the Executive Calendar.
There is a lot of work done with this unanimous consent request. And
we have attempted to work together to do as much as is possible. I
regret, frankly, that there are still a number of nominees, as the
majority leader has mentioned, that are not covered by this unanimous-
consent request. And I am hopeful that over the next few hours we may
still allow for the confirmation of a number of those who are still
pending.
As the leader indicated, some of those were just reported out of
committee today. I guess most particularly, Mr. President, I am
concerned that there are a number of judicial nominees that have been
on the calendar for many, many months. And I
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hope that we can reach some accommodation with regard to those nominees
as well.
It has been requested of me, and I am happy to do so, that we would
ask unanimous consent that the majority leader's request be amended to
include the four other judicial nominees on the Executive Calendar and
the five that were reported from the Judiciary Committee today. That
would complete our work with regard to the judicial committee
nominations. Many of those, as I said, have been pending now for a long
period of time. And it would mean a good deal to a lot of Members, and
certainly to the families of these judicial nominees, if they could be
included. And so I ask unanimous consent at this time.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have to object to that request. But I note
to the Senator from South Dakota--again, I understand why he would need
to make that request. And I appreciate his cooperation. I observe that
we have moved several judges in this group of nominations, some of them
that have been pending literally back to last year, including some
circuit judges, and that there are only four remaining that are on the
calendar. I think we can maybe clear some more, one or two more of
those early when we come back in session.
I think a couple of them, we may have to call them up and have a
vote. I am prepared to call them up and have debate and a vote on them
as we did with regard to Mr. Klein at the Justice Department. I think
that these holds can only last so long. And we have to call them up and
have a vote one way or the other.
The other nominations were only reported today. I think there are
several of them that we can do quickly. A couple of them I know there
is no problem with, but there are some others we just have not had a
chance to discuss with the chairman and run them through our hotline
and get them cleared. But we will be down to very few of these judges.
And I hope to keep moving along as they come out of committee,
including the ones that we moved here today. I believe they included
the four I mentioned, and maybe there is one other one in sort of a
unique category that we did approve. But we will keep working on it.
And something more may even happen before the night is out. We will see
how that goes.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, if I could just respond very briefly, I
just say to the majority leader, I understand his explanation. And I
will not object to the unanimous-consent request because obviously this
is a great deal of work on the Executive Calendar. And I appreciate his
cooperation on those for which he can be helpful.
I say that there are a large number of nominees that are still
pending in committee. And it will be our desire to clear the committees
of the pending nominations as well when we return following the August
recess. And I intend to work with the leader and with our chairmen to
ensure that they all are provided the opportunity to be considered and
then ultimately confirmed on the Senate floor. I hope we can do that.
And I have had the assurances by the majority leader that it is his
intention as well when we return. I look forward to working with him to
make that happen.
So I will not object.
I yield the floor.
Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator for doing that. I do note that we had
10 pages of nominations. When the night is over, those that were on the
calendar will be down to one page. And some of those have holds on both
sides of the aisle. We are still working on trying to move those. So I
appreciate your cooperation.
Mr. President, I yield the floor at this time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the majority leader's
request?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The nominations were considered and confirmed en bloc as follows:
the judiciary
Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., of Georgia, to be United States
District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia.
Eric L. Clay, of Michigan, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Sixth Circuit.
Arthur Gajarsa, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Federal Circuit.
Mary Ann Gooden Terrell, of the District of Columbia, to be
an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
department of commerce
Robert S. LaRussa, of Maryland, to be an Assistant
Secretary of Commerce.
national council on disability
Yerker Andersson, of Maryland, to be a Member of the
National Council on Disability for a term expiring September
17, 1999. (Reappointment)
national commission on libraries and information science
Jose-Marie Griffiths, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science for
a term expiring July 19, 2001.
department of State
David J. Scheffer, of Virginia, to be Ambassador at Large
for War Crimes Issues.
Ralph Frank, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America to the Kingdom of Nepal.
John C. Holzman, of Hawaii, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Gordon D. Giffin, of Georgia, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to Canada.
Karl Frederick Inderfurth, of North Carolina, to be
Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, vice
Robin Lynn Raphel.
Linda Jane Zack Tarr-Whelan, of Virginia, for the rank of
Ambassador during her tenure of service as United States
Representative to the Commission on the Status of Women of
the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Richard Sklar, of California, to be Representative of the
United States of America to the United Nations for U.N.
Management and Reform, with the Rank of Ambassador.
A. Peter Burleigh, of California, a Career Member of the
Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be
the Deputy Representative of the United States of America to
the United Nation's with the rank and status of Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, vice Edward William Gnehm,
Jr.
department of defense
Rudy deLeon, of California, to be Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
department of the interior
Kathleen M. Karpan, of Wyoming, to be Director of the
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
united states enrichment corporation
Kneeland C. Youngblood, of Texas, to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the United States Enrichment
Corporation for a term expiring February 24, 2002.
(Reappointment)
department of the interior
Robert G. Stanton, of Virginia, to be Director of the
National Park Service. (New Position)
Patrick A. Shea, of Utah, to be Director of the Bureau of
Land Management, vice Jim Baca.
department of transportation
Jane Garvey, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration for the term of five years.
national council on disability
Gina McDonald, of Kansas, to be a Member of the National
Council on Disability for a term expiring September 17, 1998.
Bonnie O'Day, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the National
Council on Disability for a term expiring September 17, 1998.
(Reappointment)
national institute for literacy advisory board
Paul Simon, of Illinois, to be a Member of the National
Institute for Literacy Advisory Board for a term expiring
September 22, 1998.
corporation for national and community service
Louis Caldera, of California, to be a Managing Director of
the Corporation for National and Community Service.
department of the interior
Jamie Rappaport Clark, of Maryland, to be Director of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
department of justice
Calvin D. Buchanan, of Mississippi, to be United States
Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi for the
term of four years.
Thomas E. Scott, of Florida, to be United States Attorney
for the Southern District of Florida for the term of four
years.
department of agriculture
Shirley Robinson Watkins, of Arkansas, to be a Member of
the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
Shirley Robinson Watkins, of Arkansas, to be Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services.
I. Miley Gonzalez, of New Mexico, to be Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics.
Catherine E. Woteki, of the District of Columbia, to be
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety. (New
Position)
August Schumacher, Jr., of Massachusetts, to be Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural
Services.
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August Schumacher, Jr., of Massachusetts, to be a Member of
the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
in the air force
The following-named officer for appointment in the United
States Air Force to the grade indicated while assigned to a
position of importance and responsibility under title 10,
U.S.C. section 601:
To be lieutenant general
Maj. Gen. Robert H. Foglesong, 0000
in the army
The following-named officer for appointment in the United
States Army to the grade indicated while assigned to a
position of importance and responsibility under title 10,
U.S.C., section 601:
To be lieutenant general
Maj. Gen. John M. Pickler, 0000
in the marine corps
The following-named officer for appointment in the United
States Marine Corps to the grade indicated while assigned to
a position of importance and responsibility under title 10,
U.S.C., section 601:
To be lieutenant general
Maj. Gen. Michael J. Byron, 0000
department of state
Edward William Gnehm, Jr., of Georgia, a Career Member of
the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to
be Director General of the Foreign Service.
James W. Pardew, Jr., of Virginia, for the Rank of
Ambassador during his tenure of service as U.S. Special
Representative for Military Stabilization in the Balkans.
Stanley O. Roth, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary
of State.
Marc Grossman, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be an Assistant
Secretary of State.
James P. Rubin, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary
of State.
Bonnie R. Cohen, of District of Columbia, to be an Under
Secretary of State.
David Andrews, of California, to be Legal Adviser of the
Department of State. (New Position)
Wendy Ruth Sherman, of Maryland, to be Counselor of the
Department of State, and to have the rank of Ambassador
during her tenure of service.
John Christian Kornblum, of Michigan, a Career Member of
the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America to the Federal Republic of Germany.
James Franklin Collins, of Illinois, a Career Member of the
Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to the Russian Federation.
Maura Harty, of Florida, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to the Republic of Paraguay.
James F. Mack, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
Anne Marie Sigmund, of the District of Columbia, a Career
Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career
Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the United States of America to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Keith C. Smith, of California, a Career Member of the
Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America to the Republic of Lithuania.
Daniel V. Speckhard, of Wisconsin, a Career Member of the
Senior Executive Service, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the
Republic of Belarus.
Richard Dale Kauzlarich, of Virginia, a Career Member of
the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to
be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Felix George Rohatyn, of New York, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to France.
Philip Lader, of South Carolina, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Nominations Placed on the Secretary's Desk
in the foreign service
Foreign Service nomination of Marilyn E. Hulbert, which was
received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional
Record of February 13, 1997.
Foreign Service nominations beginning John R. Swallow, and
ending George S. Dragnich, which nominations were received by
the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record of April
25, 1997.
u.s. international development cooperation agency
George Munoz, of Illinois, to be President of the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation.
statements on the nomination of jane garvey
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise in support of Jane Garvey's
confirmation as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
[FAA]. It is our responsibility to move forward with this nominee now.
The Administration waited at least 7 months to name a successor to
former FAA Administrator David Hinson. We cannot afford to let this
critical safety post remain vacant any longer.
Ms. Garvey will be the first FAA Administrator to serve in the five-
year term we established in last year's FAA reauthorization bill. The
responsibilities and the challenges she faces are daunting. Ms. Garvey
needs our full support in meeting these challenges head-on. Both she
and the traveling public deserve no less.
My reservations about Ms. Garvey's abilities are no secret. Her only
real aviation experience is a 2-year stint as director of the Boston
Logan airport. It is almost unfair for the Administration to have
thrust Ms. Garvey into such a highly accountable safety position
without requisite aviation expertise. Ms. Garvey's principal area of
expertise is surface transportation. Representatives from the highway
sector praise her several years of public service, both at the
Massachusetts Department of Public Works and as Assistant Administrator
of the Federal Highway Administration.
In both of these positions, Ms. Garvey had responsibilities
associated with the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project in
Boston. This may be a project that is now proceeding according to
schedule, and within revised budget estimates. Let us not forget,
though, that the cost estimates for the project have been revised from
an estimated $2 billion to a cost that exceeds $10 billion. Federal
taxpayers, of course, are picking up most of the tab. I do not hold Ms.
Garvey entirely responsible for this boondoggle. Neither do I think she
can distance herself entirely from this monument to pork-barrel
politics.
Ms. Garvey's involvement in this project holds particular
significance in light of the history of mismanagement of large
acquisition projects at the FAA.
I, obviously cannot, nor do I intend to, credit Ms. Garvey with any
of these problems at the FAA. I simply make the point that her
association with the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project is not
a ringing endorsement of her ability to manage large FAA acquisition
programs within budget.
Much of the FAA's misfortune has been attributed to the culture of
its bureaucracy. Ms. Garvey receives high marks for her superior
management abilities. Perhaps she is just the breath of fresh air we
need at the FAA, to make sure that the Agency remains the premier
aviation safety Agency in the world.
Again, I wish Ms. Garvey every success, and I pledge to do whatever I
can to support her in her new role. I urge that we move forward
expeditiously in confirming Ms. Garvey as the next FAA Administrator.
I want to assure Ms. Garvey that the Commerce Committee and the
Aviation Subcommittee will be watching very carefully and closely,
because she does not come to this job highly qualified, and that was
made clear during her hearings. I believe the President of the United
States has the ability to nominate people he wants for important
positions. I believe, therefore, that we should move forward
expeditiously with Ms. Garvey's nomination. At the same time, I have
grave and severe reservations. And, also, at the same time, I will do
everything I can to see that she succeeds in her new and most daunting
task.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I rise in support of Jane Garvey's
confirmation as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
[FAA].
As the new FAA Administrator, Ms. Garvey is facing significant
challenges. These challenges include ensuring that air travel is safe,
that the modernization of the air traffic control system is done on
time and on budget, and that airport development keeps pace with the
expected significant increases in passengers and cargo. Ms. Garvey also
faces a significant challenge to independently assess aviation funding
needs, and to speak out as to what the true needs are.
[[Page S8519]]
We are counting on Ms. Garvey to provide strong leadership. Many
positive statements have been made about her tenure at the Federal
Highway Administration, and about her outstanding management skills and
strong financial experience. These qualities will serve Ms. Garvey well
in running the FAA, and in working with the Congress.
I have heard a great deal about the need to change how things are
done at the FAA, and some of Ms. Garvey's past accomplishments indicate
that she is up to the task. I understand that one of her most
noteworthy accomplishments at the Federal Highway Administration was to
help implement innovative financing options to accelerate completion of
highway projects and to leverage federal funds. Through her efforts,
unnecessary restrictions were cleared away, and program flexibility was
provided that allowed good ideas to be introduced. Such actions show
that she can look beyond business as usual, and see opportunities to
make improvements. Such creativity is needed at the FAA.
I am sure that no one needs to be reminded that aviation safety is
the paramount responsibility of the FAA. I expect Ms. Garvey to take
whatever reasonable action is necessary to see that the FAA is
proactive, and makes whatever changes are needed before, not after, an
airline accident occurs. The public expects and deserves nothing less.
Ms. Garvey will be the first FAA Administrator to have a fixed 5-year
term. The Congress established this term so that the FAA would have the
continuity and direction that its complex, technical, and costly
programs require. Ms. Garvey has made a public commitment that she will
stay for the full 5 years of her term. I would encourage her to keep
this commitment.
I look forward to working with Ms. Garvey to address the needs of the
nation's aviation system, and to see that it continues to be the
safest, most efficient system in the world. I wish Ms. Garvey great
success. I would join with Senator McCain in urging this body to
quickly confirm Ms. Garvey as the next Administrator of the FAA. Thank
you, Mr. President.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the
President's nomination of a new Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration [FAA], Ms. Jane Garvey. We have waited several months
for this nomination, and I want to thank my distinguished colleague and
Chairman, Senator McCain, for bringing Ms. Garvey's nomination up for a
vote so expeditiously.
I want to point out Ms. Garvey's impressive public service record.
She has held several important positions with both State and Federal
Governments. I find it encouraging to find someone with Ms. Garvey's
leadership capabilities dedicating her career to public service. All
too often society's best and brightest leave public service for more
lucrative pursuits. But with Ms. Garvey, we have one of the best making
a significant contribution for the good of the public. I applaud Ms.
Garvey for that.
Ms. Garvey comes to us after receiving high marks for her work as
Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. During her
tenure, Ms. Garvey has demonstrated that she is an impressive leader.
This nation deserves a nominee like Ms. Garvey to lead the FAA.
The FAA's job is to safely operate the national air system. When it
comes to safety, there is always room for improvement. Improving the
system is a monumental task, and Ms. Garvey certainly has her work cut
out for her.
The FAA also plays an important role in developing and promoting
airport development. Airport development is a critical component in
promoting the growth of aviation. In my home state of South Carolina,
the economic impact of aviation statewide is more than $3 billion. The
travel and tourism industry is the State's second largest employer.
Without modern airports, the economy in South Carolina--and in every
other state--suffers. Infrastructure development fuels travel and
tourism and enables communities to attract new business to all of South
Carolina.
Because of Ms. Garvey's extensive background at the highway
department, I expect she will bring creativity and ingenuity to the
Airport Improvement Program. The program is a critical component of our
nation's transportation infrastructure, and I am enthusiastic about Ms.
Garvey's ability to manage this program well.
I want to conclude by commending the people at the FAA. All day,
every day, they ensure that millions of Americans reach their
destinations safely. But the system needs to be modernized, and it
needs to be done well. I look forward to working with Ms. Garvey and
Secretary of Transportation Slater over the next several years, as we
move toward improving the safety of our entire transportation network.
I urge my colleagues to approve Ms. Garvey as Administrator for the
Federal Aviation Administration.
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