[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 146 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11234-S11236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NOMINATION OF THOMAS S. FOLEY

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, it is a personal pleasure and an honor 
for me to be here this afternoon as one of Washington's U.S. Senators. 
My State--my entire State--is immensely proud today as Tom Foley's 
nomination to be our Ambassador to Japan comes to the Senate floor.
  Most of my Senate colleagues know Tom Foley personally as a result of 
working with him on legislation and on maintaining the integrity and 
authority of the legislative branch.

[[Page S11235]]

  Important for those of us in the Senate, the man who eventually 
became Speaker began his congressional career in the U.S. Senate as 
special counsel to the late and revered Washington State Senator Henry 
M. ``Scoop'' Jackson. Despite his distinguished service in the other 
body, Tom Foley is really one of our own.
  Tom was born and raised in Spokane, WA. The son of Superior Court 
Judge Ralph and Helen Foley, he is the descendent of a pioneering 
family that settled in Washington's big bend country. He also learned 
firsthand the importance of public service from his father, Judge 
Foley. In addition, he learned firsthand about the crop that has become 
one of our most successful export commodities, wheat, by working in his 
uncle's grain elevator business.
  It was that early introduction to the export dominated economy of our 
State that led to his unstinting advocacy of American agricultural 
exports to Japan, most of Asia, and throughout the world.
  Throughout his long service as a Washington State Representative to 
Congress and as its Speaker, he was a tireless advocate for American 
competitiveness in the world market and for its peerless agricultural 
productivity. As a champion of America's family farmers throughout his 
service as a member and then chairman of the House Agriculture 
Committee, he took every opportunity to press, usually successfully, 
the opening of markets throughout the world to the production of 
America's farmers.
  But Speaker Foley always understood that America's national interest 
would be best served by ensuring that all of its products would have a 
level playing field with all our trading partners. It is my belief that 
the reason Speaker Foley enjoys such great respect in Japan today is 
his consistent and candid portrayal of critical issues that have arisen 
between this country and Japan. The Japanese, like many of my Senate 
colleagues who have served here longer than I, also know him as a 
skilled and tireless negotiator.
  In my opinion, no recent Member of Congress surpasses Speaker Foley 
in the depth and breadth of his understanding of Japan. It is no 
exaggeration to say that during the more than 25 years he has traveled 
regularly to Japan, he has made the acquaintance of virtually every 
single political and economic leader of note in that country. On those 
trips, and the many occasions when he received Japanese political and 
business leaders in this country, he pressed the full range of American 
trade and vital mutual security concerns. Throughout this period, 
Speaker Foley also provided counsel and sage advice to Presidents of 
both parties.
  This record of understanding, great knowledge, and policy expertise 
is unparalleled in either Tokyo or Washington. It makes Speaker Foley 
the natural choice to be our Ambassador to Japan, representing our 
Nation, its people, and its vital interests. The residents of my State 
are so proud of Tom Foley's record of public service.
  Mr. President, I believe it is time once again, to draw from the 
illustrious alumni ranks of the Senate to fill what is perhaps our most 
important diplomatic post as we did when we sent Majority Leader 
Mansfield and Vice President Walter Mondale to Tokyo.
  Tom Foley will be a fabulous ambassador. I urge all of my colleagues 
to join me in supporting this nomination.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I yield back all time for debate on these 
nominations.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time is yielded back.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. There will be a recorded vote at 6:15. Until then, I 
suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant 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. Without objection, it is so ordered.


    Vote on the Nomination of Wyche Fowler, Jr., of Georgia, to be 
 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of 
                 America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and 
consent to the nomination of Wyche Fowler, Jr., to be Ambassador to the 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On this question, the yeas and nays have been 
ordered, and the clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from New York [Mr. D'Amato], 
the Senator from North Carolina [Mr. Faircloth], the Senator from 
Virginia [Mr. Warner], and the Senator from Delaware [Mr. Roth] are 
necessarily absent.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Delaware [Mr. Biden], the 
Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Johnson], the Senator from Massachusetts 
[Mr. Kennedy], the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Lautenberg], the 
Senator from Maryland [Ms. Mikulski], and the Senator from Oregon [Mr. 
Wyden] are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New 
Jersey [Mr. Lautenberg] would vote ``aye.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
who desire to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 90, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 280 Ex.]

                                YEAS--90

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Coats
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Frist
     Glenn
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Kempthorne
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Wellstone

                             NOT VOTING--10

     Biden
     D'Amato
     Faircloth
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Lautenberg
     Mikulski
     Roth
     Warner
     Wyden
  The nomination was confirmed.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the 
nomination was confirmed.
  Mr. INOUYE. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.


    Vote on the Nomination of Thomas S. Foley, of Washington, to be 
 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of 
                            America to Japan

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and 
consent to the nomination of Thomas S. Foley, of Washington, to be 
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of 
America to Japan? On this question, the yeas and nays have been 
ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from New York [Mr. D'Amato], 
the Senator from North Carolina [Mr. Faircloth], the Senator from 
Virginia [Mr. Warner], and the Senator from Delaware [Mr. Roth] are 
necessarily absent.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Delaware [Mr. Biden], the 
Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Johnson], the Senator from New Jersey 
[Mr. Lautenberg], the Senator from Maryland [Ms. Mikulski], and the 
Senator from Oregon [Mr. Wyden] are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New 
Jersey [Mr. Lautenberg] would vote ``aye.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 91, nays 0, as follows:

[[Page S11236]]

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 281 Ex.]

                                YEAS--91

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Coats
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Frist
     Glenn
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Kempthorne
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Wellstone

                             NOT VOTING--9

     Biden
     D'Amato
     Faircloth
     Johnson
     Lautenberg
     Mikulski
     Roth
     Warner
     Wyden
  The nomination was confirmed.

                          ____________________