[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12967-S12968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Commerce Committee And Labor Committee

  Mr. LOTT. I further ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee 
and the Labor Committee be immediately discharged from further 
consideration of the following nominations, and further that the Senate 
then proceed to their consideration: John Moran, Harold Creel, Ashish 
Sen, Anita Jones, Pamela Ferguson, and nominations in the Public Health 
Service.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations considered en bloc are as follows:


                           commerce committee

       John A. Moran, of Virginia, to be a Federal Maritime 
     Commissioner for the term expiring June 30, 2000.
       Harold J. Creel, Jr., of South Carolina, to be a Federal 
     Maritime Commissioner for the term expiring June 30, 20004. 
     (Reappointment)
       Ashish Sen, of Illinois, to be Director of the Bureau of 
     Transportation Statistics, Department of Transportation, for 
     the term of four years.


                            labor committee

       Anita K. Jones, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National 
     Science Board, National Science Foundation, for a term 
     expiring May 10, 2004.
       Pamela A. Ferguson, of Iowa, to be a Member of the National 
     Science Board, National Science Foundation, for a term 
     expiring May 10, 2004.


                         public health service

       Public Health Service nominations beginning Robert W. 
     Amler, and ending Cheryl A. Wiseman, which nominations were 
     received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record on April 24, 1998.
       Public Health Service nominations beginning Marie A. 
     Coffey, and ending Julia C. Watkins, which nominations were 
     received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record on July 7, 1998.


nominations of john a. moran and harold j. creel, jr., federal maritime 
                             commissioners

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today the Senate unanimously confirmed the 
nominations of John A. Moran and Harold J. Creel, Jr. to serve as 
Federal Maritime Commissioners. John Moran will be replacing Joseph 
Scroggins on the Commission while Hal Creel will be serving a second 
term as Chairman of the FMC. I applaud the selection of these two 
highly qualified individuals for these important positions.
  John Moran brings more than a decade of congressional and legislative 
experience in maritime transportation and policy to the FMC. During his 
nine-year tenure as a staffer in the House and Senate, John focused on 
a number of important maritime issues, including the Oil Pollution Act 
of 1990. His work on the 1990 amendments to the Shipping Act of 1984 
and the 1991-1992 Advisory Commission on Conferences in Ocean Shipping 
(ACCOS) ensures that he is well prepared for his FMC assignment. The 
ACCOS process crystallized the concerns of stakeholders regarding the 
Shipping Act of 1984 and was a forerunner to S. 414, the Ocean Shipping 
Reform Act of 1998. This experience will serve John well as he assumes 
the shared responsibility for implementing that Act. I have great 
confidence in John Moran's ability and integrity.
  Hal Creel has been the Chairman of the FMC for more than four years. 
During that time, the agency has gone from being characterized as 
``obsolete'' to being hailed as a champion of free and open access to 
foreign trade markets. Hal deserves tremendous credit for this reversal 
of fortune. Through Hal's leadership, the FMC has punished unfair 
foreign shipping practices in Japan and is reviewing similar concerns 
regarding shipping practices in China and Brazil. Hal has also 
demonstrated the FMC's willingness to respond quickly to industry 
complaints regarding violations of the Shipping Act of 1984. More than 
90% of all U.S. international trade is transported by ships. 
Maintaining a fair and open international ocean shipping system is 
vital to this nation's economy. Hal is clearly deserving of another 
term as Chairman of this crucial independent agency.
  Mr. President, I would also like to take this opportunity to express 
my thanks to another FMC commissioner, Ming Hsu, for her long service 
to this agency. Ming Hsu supplies a wealth of experience in Asia-U.S. 
trade to the FMC. This has proven vital to addressing a number of ocean 
shipping concerns in this increasingly important trade lane.
  With the President expected to sign the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 
1998 in the coming days, I am confident that the Federal Maritime 
Commission, with Hal Creel, John Moran, Ming Hus, and Del Won, is more 
than ready to implement this landmark legislation.
 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
congratulate two nominees, Mr. Hal Creel and Mr. John Moran, upon their 
confirmation to be Federal Maritime Commissioners.
  Hal Creel, a native of South Carolina and my former Senior Counsel on 
the Maritime Subcommittee, has been a Federal Maritime Commissioner for 
four years. He has served the last two and a half years as the agency's 
Chairman. As Chairman, he has demonstrated a wide-ranging knowledge of 
the maritime industry and an outstanding ability to oversee industry 
activities. Our Nation is extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated 
individual at the helm of this important government body.
  Mr. Creel and the Federal Maritime Commission are responsible for 
overseeing all international liner shipping in the U.S.--over $500 
billion in trade. His efforts in the controversy surrounding Japan's 
restrictive port practices come immediately to mind.
  The Government of Japan for many years has orchestrated a system that 
impedes open trade, unjustly favors Japanese companies, and results in 
tremendous inefficiencies for anyone serving Japan's ports. The FMC, 
under Mr. Creel's guidance, met these problems head-on and he was 
instrumental in bringing the two governments to the bargaining table. 
The bilateral agreement that resulted paves the way for far-reaching 
changes that can remove these unfair barriers to trade. The progress 
made to date has occurred in large measure due to the Commission's 
firm, results-oriented approach. I urge him to continue to keep the 
Japanese honest, and to perform their agreed upon obligations.
  Hal Creel also has led the Commission in its efforts to resolve 
unfavorable trading conditions with the Peoples Republic of China and 
Brazil. These trades pose differing problems, but circumstances that 
nonetheless restrict U.S. companies or render their business dealings 
unnecessarily difficult or simply inefficient.
  Hal Creel is widely respected by all sectors of the industry as an 
involved, knowledgeable Chairman who can be trusted to make impartial 
decisions based on all relevant factors. This has been evidenced by the 
objective, informed decisions he renders in formal proceedings, his 
voting record on important agency matters, and the evenhanded 
enforcement program administered by the Commission. As Chairman of the 
FMC, Hal Creel has worked hard to curb harmful practices and create 
equitable trading conditions for the entire industry. He takes a 
personal stake in these matters and works hard to obtain industry 
compliance with the laws passed by this Congress. But those who 
willfully violate the law or intentionally disregard the Nation's ocean 
shipping policies as contained in the Shipping Act are dealt with 
appropriately.
  These are turbulent times in the liner shipping industry, times that 
call for effective and respected leadership from our Nation's 
regulatory body. Mr. Creel provides that leadership now, and I am 
certain will continue to do so as the industry enters the new 
environment that will result from the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 
passed by this body last week.
  I am proud of the accomplishments and fine work Hal has done at the 
FMC. I am also proud that he is a native South Carolinian. He certainly 
has continued the fine tradition and excellence he established as a 
staffer and

[[Page S12968]]

senior counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee. His reappointment is 
well deserved.
  I also wish to convey my support for John Moran to become a 
Commissioner at the FMC. John also is a former Commerce Committee 
counsel who served all members of that Committee with distinction. John 
and Hal worked together at the Committee on a bipartisan basis, 
slugging through tough issues and serving all of the Members well.
  For my Senate colleagues who do not know Mr. Moran, his only fault is 
that he is not from South Carolina. He has demonstrated his abilities 
and intellect time and time again. He is well suited to be a Federal 
Maritime Commissioner. Currently, John works representing the American 
Waterways Operators, as their Vice President for legislative affairs. 
John also has an outstanding reputation within the maritime and 
transportation industry sectors.
  I congratulate these two deserving individuals, who have been 
appointed to the agency which plays such a critical role in 
international trade.