[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15904-15905]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  NOMINATION OF RICHARD HOLBROOKE AS AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS IS 
                             BEING BLOCKED

  (Mr. SCHAFFER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, the nomination of Richard Holbrooke to be 
ambassador of the United Nations is being blocked across the Capital 
because of this administration's failure to answer questions about the 
Linda Shenwick case.
  Linda Shenwick is a loyal State Department employee who has offended 
the White House.
  Her crime? She told the truth. She told the uncomfortable truth to 
the United States Congress, as she is required to do by law; and then 
she was punished for it. She told the truth about what the U.N.'s 
appalling budget practices are and about massive waste in the United 
Nations.
  For that she has been declared ``enemy number one'' by high officials 
at the White House, all because she is a whistle-blower.

[[Page 15905]]

  Whistle-blowers were hailed in the press under Republican 
administrations, but the outrageous indefensible retaliation against 
this whistle-blower under this administration has been almost ignored 
by the press and, of course, by the President's party, a party that 
used to join Republicans in defending the little guy, the innocent 
people who suffer at the hand of those who abuse power and exploit 
workers.
  It is an outrage, Mr. Speaker.

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