[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 178 (Thursday, December 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14047-S14049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         NOMINATIONS DISCHARGED

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed

[[Page S14048]]

to executive session and that the HELP Committee be discharged from 
further consideration of the nomination of Michael Hammond to be the 
chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts. I ask that the 
nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, that any statements thereon be printed in the Record, and that 
the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nomination was considered and confirmed, as follows:


                department of health and human services

       Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
       Michael Hammond, of Texas, to be Chairperson of the 
     National Endowment for the Arts for a term of four years.

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I welcome this opportunity to express my 
strong support for the confirmation of Michael Hammond to be Chairman 
of the National Endowment for the Arts, and I urge the Senate to 
confirm him.
  Mr. Hammond is a distinguished composer, conductor, arts educator and 
scientist. His is the Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice 
University, where he is also a professor of music and a faculty fellow 
in neuroscience.
  Mr. Hammond is an excellent choice to lead the Arts Endowment. He is 
also one of the nation's leaders in the field of cognitive development 
and he understands the vast potential of the arts in early childhood 
education. I welcome his leadership, and I believe that he will be an 
outstanding chairman for this very important agency.
  During the consideration of his nomination by the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, I submitted a number of 
questions to Mr. Hammond. His responses are impressive and I ask 
unanimous consent that they may be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 Questions by Senator Edward Kennedy for Michael Hammond, Nominee for 
            Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts

       1. Do you support the mission of the National Endowment for 
     the Arts and believe that there is a federal role in support 
     of the arts?
       Yes. The Arts Endowment's mandate is to provide national 
     recognition and support to significant projects of artistic 
     excellence, thus preserving and enhancing our nation's 
     diverse cultural heritage. This is a noble and essential 
     national goal and I embrace it completely. I believe there 
     are important aspects of this task that can best be performed 
     at the federal level. If I have the opportunity to serve as 
     chairman, I will work to advance the Endowment's mandate in 
     every conceivable way.
       2. Are there any circumstances under which you would 
     support the elimination of the agency?
       No.
       3. Due to budget cuts and the impact of inflation, the 
     NEA's spending power has been dramatically reduced. The 
     decline in funding has also reduced the agency's reach and 
     impact. How do you view the current funding? Will you 
     advocate for higher spending levels for the agency?
       Although the Endowment's financial resources are limited, 
     it has a national voice that I believe should articulate 
     clearly and strongly the importance of the arts in enriching 
     the lives and shaping the aesthetic taste of all Americans. 
     It is now more important than ever that the Endowment make 
     performances and presentations of the highest artistic 
     quality accessible to our urban, rural and suburban 
     communities.
       The Endowment's financial capability is important both for 
     the direct project grants it makes and for the matching money 
     grants generated from other sources. I would advocate for 
     spending levels that are more adequate in fulfilling the full 
     gamut of the Endowment's goals. Should I have the honor to be 
     the chairman, I would look for ways to stimulate more public 
     and private support for the arts and arts education.
       4. How do you think the Endowment should best balance its 
     various programs which support the creation and presentation 
     of the arts with providing broad access to the arts?
       Each of these tasks is crucial and the balance between 
     them, though difficult, must be reconsidered regularly. A 
     full review of the Endowment's activities in both these areas 
     (creation/presentation and broad access) would be a high 
     priority for me. Further, I would pursue these goals 
     nationwide in rural, urban and suburban communities, in close 
     cooperation with state and local arts groups and educational 
     organizations committed to the arts.
       5. What do you think are the highest programming priorities 
     for the agency?
       In the days following September 11, in ceremony after 
     ceremony, Americans turned to the arts, especially music and 
     poetry, for expressions of our anguish over our human losses 
     and for confirmation of our common commitments as Americans. 
     It is essential that the Arts Endowment help provide 
     opportunities for our citizens to experience works whose 
     meaning transcends the momentary and speak to us as human 
     beings, sharing one another's mortality and longing for 
     beauty and understanding.
       At the same time the Endowment must, I believe, work to 
     create conditions favorable to our professional artists--
     conditions in which they will be inspired to fulfill their 
     deepest artistic aspirations, encouraging all of us to 
     understand ourselves and one another in continuously new 
     ways. If I am given the opportunity to serve, I will also try 
     to direct the Endowment's efforts toward enlivening the 
     artistic culture of the nation from the ground up by 
     strengthening all forms of educational activity in the arts, 
     especially among the young. If there is to be a further 
     flowering of our artistic culture in the coming years, it 
     must begin by making the best achievements of our rich 
     heritage a reality in the lives of our young people.
       6. You have had an extremely accomplished career in music 
     and music education. Do you have any thoughts about ways that 
     the agency can develop or initiate programs for young 
     children and the arts?
       To ensure the artistic future of our country, I believe, 
     today's children and those of generations to come must have 
     the opportunity to learn by actual experience, the techniques 
     of music-making, the skills of drawing, painting and 
     sculpting, dance movement, poetry and other forms of 
     writing, and the art of acting and play-making. Such 
     experiences together with regular access to the finest art 
     can stimulate a child's imagination, engage the intellect, 
     create discipline, produce physical skill and enhance 
     curiosity and joy. Few may become professional artists, 
     but many will become grateful audiences for the arts. A 
     richer artistic culture can be brought into being with 
     consistent effort over time in this way.
       Should I have the honor of serving as the chairman of the 
     National Endowment for the Arts, I will explore how the 
     agency can provide national leadership in promoting such 
     hands-on educational programs in the arts for children from 
     preschool through high school. The country has vast 
     educational resources both public and private for this 
     undertaking. These need to be surveyed, documented and 
     enhanced.
       It is my understanding that grants for arts education are 
     now funded under two new Arts Endowment funding programs--
     Challenge America and Arts Learning. The state arts agencies 
     also contribute very significantly to educational efforts in 
     the arts, as do a number of private organizations and 
     programs. The Endowment can advocate and promote models for 
     cooperation among these groups and incentives for imaginative 
     action.
       From my own studies in neuroscience, I know there is a 
     growing body of information concerning cognitive development 
     among preschoolers showing their ability to discriminate 
     clearly among musical sounds, visual colors, movements and 
     language elements in a way that mandates programs of learning 
     in the arts at very early ages. I would actively pursue this 
     agenda and attempt to work closely with that growing body of 
     scientists and educators throughout the world who are 
     concerned with such early cognitive development.
       7. How do you think the agency can best support K-12 
     education programs?
       First, there must be an accurate assessment of the programs 
     and institutions, both public and private, which are 
     addressing the matter of arts education for school-age young 
     people in each region of the country. Working with these 
     groups and with the state and regional arts agencies, the 
     Endowment can help to set goals for instruction and 
     experience at each stage of a student's life, in each of the 
     arts. The Endowment can encourage cooperative efforts 
     among arts groups to get the job done. It is a challenging 
     task that will require all our available institutional 
     resources as well as a new level of aspiration from all 
     quarters, including parents, schools, museums, community 
     centers, performing arts organizations, church groups, 
     Boys and Girls Clubs and many others. Much valuable work 
     is already being done in many parts of the country. These 
     efforts can serve as models for others.
       I believe the Endowment can lead in certain aspects by 
     initiating conversations, encouraging fine teaching, 
     generating funding from corporations, foundations, private 
     benefactors and arts support groups. It can assist and 
     strengthen organizations that have valuable ideas but need 
     assistance in initiating them. It can connect outstanding 
     young artists to this effort, both as teachers and 
     practitioners. Finally, through its general grants programs, 
     the Endowment can increase access to outstanding performances 
     and exhibitions so that at every stage of a young person's 
     development, the arts at their best are regularly 
     experienced.
       8. How do you feel that the federal role of the Arts 
     Endowment differs from the role of the state entities and 
     local agencies? Do you feel that these roles complement each 
     other well? Are there any changes that you would suggest for 
     either the federal role, or the way the Endowment supports 
     state and local initiatives?
       If the opportunity to serve as chairman of the Arts 
     Endowment comes to me, I will make it a high priority to 
     become very familiar with our state and local arts agencies,

[[Page S14049]]

     their leaders and the important work they do. I will explore 
     with them ways in which their partnership with the Endowment 
     can be strengthened and broadened. They have played a vital 
     role in carrying out Challenge America and other important 
     Endowment programs. Many of them have been extremely 
     successful in promoting the arts in their own locales. I see 
     them as already valuable allies for the Endowment, and I 
     would hope that these alliances can be made even more 
     productive for our citizens everywhere.
       9. Do you believe that the Arts Endowment should actively 
     pursue private funds to supplement its federal appropriation?
       I understand that legislation gives the Endowment authority 
     to accept private gifts and donations. I also understand that 
     there is concern in the arts community that major fundraising 
     activities by the Arts Endowment could compete with, and 
     therefore, conceivably diminish the ability of arts 
     organizations to raise the funding necessary for their 
     survival. In the current economic climate, and following 
     September 11, the issue of financial support for arts groups 
     everywhere is especially serious. If I am confirmed, I would 
     approach this matter carefully and in a collegial spirit.
       10. Will you continue the agency's efforts to build 
     partnerships and funding coalitions with other federal 
     agencies?
       I support efforts to form coalitions and partnerships with 
     other federal agencies whenever these can enhance access for 
     Americans nationwide to projects of artistic quality. 
     Accordingly, I would examine the current inter-agency 
     agreements that the Endowment has entered into over the years 
     to see how these and other such cooperative efforts can help 
     to preserve our national artistic heritage and increase the 
     value of that heritage to our citizens, especially those who 
     may be otherwise underserved.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Agriculture 
Committee be discharged from the consideration of the nomination of 
James Newsome, to be chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading 
Commission and his nomination to be a commissioner on the Commission; 
that the nominations be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid on 
the table, and that any statements thereon be printed at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations were considered and confirmed, as follows:


                       department of agriculture

       James E. Newsome, of Mississippi, to be Chairman of the 
     Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
       James E. Newsome, of Mississippi, to be a Commissioner of 
     the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the term 
     expiring June 19, 2006. (Reappointment)

                          ____________________