[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              HOLD ON THE NOMINATION OF RICHARD HOLBROOKE

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, on June 24 I announced that I had placed 
a hold on the nomination of Mr. Richard Holbrooke to be the new U.S. 
Ambassador to the United Nations. At that time, I had indicated that it 
was not a personal dispute with Mr. Holbrooke, but that it was a signal 
to the State Department. The Department has been mistreating a whistle 
blower, Ms. Linda Shenwick. She had made protected financial 
mismanagement disclosures to Congress. Her disclosures led to the 
creation of an Inspector General at the U.N., as well as other 
management reforms and statutory requirements.
  My interest in this matter is simple. Congress cannot function as an 
institution if government employees cannot communicate with Congress 
about wrongdoing. And the executive branch should not be allowed to 
shoot the messenger with impunity. I am simply trying to get the two 
parties to return to the negotiating table, where they had been up to 
as recently as two months ago, and arrive at a mutually agreed-upon new 
job for Ms. Shenwick.
  Accordingly, I have placed a hold on three new nominees from the 
State Department. They are the following: A. Peter Burleigh as 
Ambassador to the Philippines; Carl Spielvogel as Ambassador to the 
Slovak Republic; and, J. Richard Fredericks as Ambassador to 
Switzerland.
  In addition to these new holds, I have taken additional steps which I 
choose not to disclose at this time. They are designed to increase my 
and other interested colleagues' ability to insist that Ms. Shenwick be 
treated fairly. Several of my colleagues have indicated a desire to 
assist me on my further endeavors.
  My interest, as I said, was not with Mr. Holbrooke. I intend to vote 
for him. My interest is, and has been from the beginning, in making 
sure the process for Ms. Shenwick remains fair. It became evident to me 
that the Secretary of State was not out of sorts with the hold-up of 
the Holbrooke nomination. Yet the hold accomplished some progress.
  In the first place, the Department had long ignored a letter signed 
by nine United States Senators in October of last year, raising our 
concerns about its mistreatment of Ms. Shenwick. The Department did not 
even respond until June 30 of this year--eight months later. Since 
then, we have corresponded again, and I met with State Department 
attorneys through the good offices of my friend from Virginia, Senator 
Warner.
  I also met with Administration officials and have engaged in useful 
dialogue. It has resulted in a more highly sensitized Administration as 
to the need for effective communications with the State Department to 
ensure fair treatment for Ms. Shenwick. These communications have 
produced one small yet positive step toward ensuring the fairest 
possible process.
  In the meantime, I have chosen to increase my leverage by putting the 
holds on these three nominees. At the same time, I will release my hold 
on Mr. Holbrooke, satisfied that I have greater leverage, and the 
Administration's heightened awareness and assurances of a fair process.

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