[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7323-S7325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NOMINATION OF MICHAEL J. COPPS'S TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE 
                         FOR TRADE DEVELOPMENT

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I urge this body to confirm Michael J. 
Copps to be the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development. 
Mike Copps has been enormously effective as the Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Basic Industries; the sooner the Senate 
approves his nomination, the sooner he can go to work to further our 
nation's economic interests and develop new trade opportunities for 
American industry.
  It has been my privilege to know Mike Copps for over 25 years. He 
served on my staff for 15 years and was my administrative assistant for 
over a decade. In that time, I came to know and respect Mike; and today 
there is no one whose judgment I value more highly or in whose 
abilities I place greater confidence. In fact, Mr. Chairman, I can 
think of no one better suited to serve as the Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Trade Development than Michael Copps.
  Mike is a man of measured judgment and extraordinary maturity, and he 
possesses a keen, analytical mind. I can state from personal experience 
that he is the consummate chief of staff--cool and collected, Mike 
Copps leads by example. In moments of crisis, he was calm. In times of 
indecision, he was resolute. And he always demonstrated high-minded 
principle and professionalism.

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  I have been an elected servant of the people over the span of six 
decades, Mr. Chairman; and in this time, I have seen many people forget 
the purpose of public service. But Mike Copps never has forsaken his 
dedication to the public good. His moral compass has never wavered. I 
can pay no greater tribute to Mike Copps than to say he is a public 
servant without equal. Truly, this is the greatest accolade one can 
garner.
  Perhaps one way to underscore Mike Copps' unique temperament and keen 
intellect is to explain the origins of my relationship with him. Mike 
came to my staff in 1970, to help with writing and other tasks. From 
this humble beginning, he rose in less than five years to be my 
administrative assistant. Now, I pride myself on my staff, and for 
someone to rise from a newly hired assistant to chief of staff in the 
Senate in just five years is highly unusual. But Mike Copps has made a 
career out of making the unusual seem routine.
  Just look at what he has accomplished since taking over as the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Basic Industries in 1993. His 
tenure has been one of the busiest and most purposeful in that office's 
history. DAS Copps has conceived, organized, and successfully achieved 
public sector-private sector partnerships in the belief that we can 
succeed in the world of global commerce only through close cooperation 
between industry and government. This has been the guiding light of his 
tenure at Commerce: fostering public sector-private sector cooperation 
to strengthen U.S. industry and benefit U.S. consumers.
  For example, under Mike Copps' leadership, the Commerce Department's 
Basic Industries division has administered seven highly innovative 
Market Development Cooperator Program Awards. This competitive matching 
grants program provides two private sector dollars for every federal 
dollar and builds public-private partnerships by providing assistance 
to non-profit export multipliers.
  DAS Copps chairs the U.S.-Russia Business Development Committee's Oil 
and Gas Working Group. The BDC is the principal venue for bilateral 
discussions on trade between America and Russia. Chairman Copps played 
an important role in pushing successfully for the removal of the export 
tax for U.S. companies shipping oil out of Russia and in reducing 
Russian oil excise taxes.
  In China, Copps negotiated the terms of reference for working groups 
in the electrical power, chemical, and automotive industries; developed 
policy and trade promotion programs for each; and started a broad range 
of working group activities involving both the private and public 
sectors.
  Copps also helped create similar partnerships involving forest 
products and agribusiness in Russia, energy and agribusiness in the 
Ukraine, and electrical power in Turkey.
  To see how effectively Deputy Assistant Secretary Copps has promoted 
U.S. industries, just look at what he has done for the automotive 
industry. Under his leadership, the Commerce Department's Office of 
Automotive Affairs has become the lead agency of the U.S. Government in 
providing both the expertise for our nation's global automotive 
negotiations and its trade promotion initiatives. During the past two 
years, for example, the Office has convened meetings to successfully 
resolve 23 outstanding Japanese vehicle standards issues.
  The Office of Automotive Affairs also contributed its expertise and 
participation to ongoing U.S.-Korean automotive negotiations, an ASEAN 
automotive trade initiative, and to U.S.-Brazil automotive talks. All 
these initiatives have helped reinvigorate the U.S. auto industry and 
have helped it achieve a level playing field and a competitive edge 
overseas.
  Mike Copps has been able to compile this impressive record of 
achievement because he combines a tremendous work ethic, wonderful 
diplomatic skills, and a rigorous and analytical mind. In addition, he 
possesses a historical perspective unmatched by anyone I have met in 
government. Before joining my staff in 1970, he had earned his Ph.D. in 
history and taught courses at Loyola University for three years. His 
appreciation for the forces of history and the perspective his studies 
gave him make Mike Copps especially suited for this job, which requires 
an understanding not only of economic forces and trade negotiation, but 
also of America's role in the world and the cultures of our trading 
partners.
  Mike Copps possesses all the qualities we admire in our public 
servants. Professional and grave in matters of the public trust, he is 
also witty and diplomatic. He values good policies over politics, but 
he understands the importance of both in the arena of international 
trade. After working in the Senate, private industry, and the 
Department of Commerce, he appreciates the concerns and needs of both 
sectors and knows the compromises necessary to create successful 
public-private partnerships.
  Finally, I would note that Mike Copps' dedication begins at home. He 
is a devoted family man, and I know his wife Beth and his five children 
are justifiably proud of his service and achievements. Unlike some in 
Washington, Mike has never forgotten the values and ideals that count 
the most. I believe his moral compass points him in the right direction 
so infallibly because it is grounded in the family he treasures above 
all else.
  Mr. President, I urge speedy confirmation of Michael J. Copps to be 
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development. We cannot afford 
to delay action on such an effective and dedicated public servant.


   nomination of john o'leary to be united states ambassador to chile

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong support 
for the nomination of John O'Leary to be the next United States 
Ambassador to Chile, and my appreciation to the Foreign Relations 
Committee for their prompt and favorable review. I urge the Senate to 
do likewise.
  I know that Mr. O'Leary will be a credit to his fellow Mainers and 
the citizens of the United States. On June 13th, I was proud to join 
with my colleagues in the Maine delegation--Senator Collins, 
Representative Allen, and Representative Baldacci--to introduce this 
outstanding candidate to the Foreign Relations Committee. Mainers have 
had a long and proud tradition of service to this nation and John 
O'Leary is the latest individual to carry on this tradition. We in 
Maine are proud of him and know he will make the nation proud as well.
  Mr. O'Leary brings a wealth of talents to the table, and a review of 
his background reveals a man well-qualified for the demands and 
responsibilities of the post for which he has been nominated.
  Since his graduation from Yale Law School in 1974, John O'Leary has 
built an impressive career in law distinguished by a strong intellect 
and a commitment to the highest ethical standards. He is a leader in 
the American legal field, having recently served as the Chair of the 
American Bar Association's eleven-person Standing Committee on 
Environmental Law. He has also been entrusted with one of eight seats 
on the First Circuit Advisory Committee on Rules.
  Mr. O'Leary's outstanding leadership and organizational skills are 
also evidenced by his management of complex litigation. In fact, his 
efforts led one major national retailer to choose Mr. O'Leary's firm, 
Pierce Atwood, for its annual award for quality and value--the first 
time a law firm had ever been chosen from among the retailer's global 
vendors for such an honor. His analytical mind coupled with a studious 
attention to detail would be of tremendous benefit to the United 
States' interests in Chile.
  Mr. O'Leary is also no stranger to public and community service. His 
commitment to civic affairs in Maine are evidenced by his election to 
the City Council of Maine's largest city, Portland, and his service as 
Mayor. He has also contributed of his time and talents as a trustee and 
president of the Portland Public Library.
  Finally, John O'Leary's extensive background and interest in Latin 
American affairs would be invaluable to U.S.-Chile relations. His 
impressive resume includes participation on an arbitration panel for 
the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission, working on a 
matter involving Venezuela; and service on a three member United States 
team that assisted Bolivia in sustainable development matters. From 
1991 to 1997, Mr. O'Leary also served as President of the Natural 
Resources and Environmental Protection Committee of the Inter-American

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Bar Association (IABA), which was charged with overall responsibility 
for the IABA committee's activities in Chile and throughout the 
Americas.
  And finally, in March of 1997, he both chaired and organized a major 
conference in Argentina on ``Development, the Environment and Dispute 
Resolution in the Americas''--which incidentally was the first such 
American Bar Association program ever run in South America.
  Mr. President, we in the Senate have the solemn responsibility of 
ensuring that those Americans we send abroad to represent our nation 
and her interests are individuals of the highest character and most 
outstanding qualifications. Today, we have before us a nominee who 
fulfills those criteria most ably. I met with Mr. O'Leary prior to his 
confirmation hearing and that meeting only confirmed what I have 
already stated--that I believe him to be an outstanding choice for 
Ambassador. He is a man of intellect and integrity, who knows how to 
work with people and knows how to get things done.
  Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate is about to act to 
confirm John O'Leary as our next Ambassador to Chile. It is a decision 
I believe all of my colleagues will be proud that we made.

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