[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15133-15134]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NOMINATION OF LARRY SUMMERS

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I want to say to my colleague from 
Pennsylvania, who just addressed the issue of Treasury and the issue of 
steel, that I supported the proposal last week of Senator Rockefeller 
and felt as though that was a strong message that we needed to be 
sending. We didn't prevail in that particular issue. It is an important 
issue for the Senator from Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's economy depends 
on many sectors. But steel is a very important one. And the trade issue 
is extremely important.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague from 
Connecticut for those comments. I dare say that if we polled all of our 
colleagues, the other 98, there would not be a Senator who would not 
have problems in his own State on dumping. Some may object saying that 
they do

[[Page 15134]]

not want to have anything to impede the flow of commerce, but there are 
some limits.
  When it comes to the law, I know my colleague from Connecticut is as 
concerned about the rule of law as I am. If we want to eliminate the 
antidumping provisions, I will keep quiet. But when the law prohibits 
dumping and there is so much of it to the prejudice of so many people--
talk about victims' rights--this is an injustice that is being 
perpetrated day in and day out. If it goes to court, justice will be 
done.
  Mr. DODD. I thank my colleague. Everyone faces these dumping issues. 
We are a very open society. That is one of our strengths. But there are 
limits. The only thing I would say--again, I don't want to tie us up 
because we have other matters to attend to--is that I happen to be a 
strong supporter of Larry Summers as a candidate for the Secretary of 
the Treasury position.
  He is a very fine individual who I think will do a tremendous job. 
First of all, he will be listening to people such as our distinguished 
colleague from Pennsylvania, and I hope the colleague of the Senator 
from Pennsylvania, the Senator from Connecticut, on these matters. I am 
sure he will do that. I know that he will do that.
  But, obviously more importantly, we need not just good listening but 
also a willingness to make the fight as only can be done at the 
executive branch level. We in Congress can pass amendments and bills to 
try to do it. But in the area of trade --I know that my colleague from 
Pennsylvania will agree--the executive branch is really where the 
influence is most felt through the Office of the President, the 
Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of 
State, where they raise these issues at that level. That is where we 
have the most success, I think, at least historically, in dealing with 
the kind of issues that he has addressed this morning.
  I am confident that Larry Summers is going to be a very strong 
advocate on behalf of our country and its needs and its sectors that 
the Senator from Pennsylvania has talked about.
  I just didn't want the moment to pass without expressing my support 
for this very fine individual, whom I have come to know and respect 
immensely over the last number of years. He has worked with Rubin in 
Treasury.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, just one further comment. Some of our 
most worthwhile floor discussions is when there is an exchange of 
ideas. So often comments go from protection of speech out into a 
vacuum. Like the old saying about college lectures in classes, it goes 
from the notes of the professor to the notes of the student without 
passing through the head of either. But when you have a discussion, it 
may be a little more informative. The executive branch is where it 
ought to start. But if there is not relief from the executive branch, 
then I look to the judicial branch.
  The one conclusive item that I will note, because I don't want to 
take more than another 45 seconds, is in the enforcement of the civil 
rights laws. We could never have gotten desegregation in America if it 
was left up to the Congress or to the State legislatures or to the 
Presidents and the Governors nibbling at the edges a little bit. But 
when the case went to court, justice was done.
  Mr. DODD. The Senator from Pennsylvania is absolutely correct. We 
need to have that judicial branch if we are going to really make the 
laws work ultimately. I appreciate that point. It is one well taken.
  I agree with his point as well that if you are going to have 
antidumping laws on the books, enforcing them is the only way to live 
up to our obligations.
  I appreciate his comments.
  (The remarks of Mr. Dodd pertaining to the introduction of 
legislation are located in today's Record under ``Statements on 
Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

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