[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 80 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6518-S6519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        AMBASSADOR BILL RICHARDSON TO BECOME SECRETARY OF ENERGY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today an announcement was made by the 
President that we are going to have a new Secretary of Energy, Bill 
Richardson, a former Congressman from the State of New Mexico, now our 
ambassador to the United Nations.
  In 1982, I came to the Congress with Bill Richardson. We were both in 
the class of 1982. He had a long and distinguished career in the House 
where he served honorably on a number of committees, including 
Commerce. Of course, during the time he was a Member of the House of 
Representatives, he did some very unusual but very important diplomatic 
maneuvers--freeing various people held as political prisoners, and 
other efforts, which were extremely important, not only to this country 
but for world peace. The President had recognized that and he selected 
Bill Richardson to be our ambassador to the United Nations, where he 
has served honorably.
  The need for former Congressman Richardson, now Ambassador 
Richardson, to return to Washington has been noticed by the President. 
As a result of Secretary Pena retiring, we now have a tremendous need 
for someone who understands Washington, and certainly Bill Richardson 
does that; someone who understands Government, and certainly Bill 
Richardson does understand Government; someone who has an understanding 
of the importance of the Energy Department, and Bill Richardson has 
that understanding based upon

[[Page S6519]]

his being from New Mexico where so much dealing with things nuclear 
have taken place for the last 60 years.
  So, Mr. President, I am elated and enthused about the new Secretary 
Richardson. He has big shoes to fill, as Secretary Pena has done an 
outstanding job. Secretary Pena has approached his job in a bipartisan 
fashion. Even though he is part of this administration, he has reached 
out to Chairman Domenici and the ranking member of this subcommittee in 
trying to be fair and reasonable in his approach to issues that are so 
important to this country and to the world.
  I applaud and commend the administration for selecting Bill 
Richardson to be the next Secretary of Energy.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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