[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2684]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

                                 F_____
                                 

                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nominations on the Executive Calendar: No. 6 and 7, and all nominations 
on the Secretary's desk and the Coast Guard. I further ask unanimous 
consent that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and the President be immediately notified of the 
Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations were agreed to.
  The nominations considered and confirmed are as follows:


                      department of transportation

       William Clyburn, Jr., of South Carolina, to be a Member of 
     the Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring December 
     31, 2000.
       Wayne O. Burkes, of Mississippi, to be a Member of the 
     Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring December 31, 
     2002.


                           in the coast guard

       Coast Guard nomination of George W. Molessa, Jr., which was 
     received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record of February 3, 1999.
       Coast Guard nominations beginning James W. Kelly, and 
     ending John J. Santucci, which nominations were received by 
     the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record of 
     February 3, 1999.
       Coast Guard nominations beginning James E. Malene, and 
     ending Steven M. Wischmann, which nominations were received 
     by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record of 
     February 3, 1999.


                     NOMINATION OF WAYNE O. BURKES

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to see the Senate 
today approve the nomination of a fellow Mississippian, Wayne O. 
Burkes, to serve as a member of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). 
Wayne is qualified to serve because he brings a wealth of experience 
and a depth of character to the STB.
  Wayne Burkes comes to this position after serving as the 
Transportation Commissioner for the Central District of Mississippi for 
the past ten years. In this capacity, he supervised all modes of 
transportation in the state involving aviation, highways, public 
transit, and rail safety. Prior to that, he served for 14 years in the 
Mississippi Legislature as both a Senator and a Representative on the 
Highways and Transportation Committees.
  Mr. President, Wayne Burkes brings a real multimodal background to 
the STB. He is a thoughtful, introspective, humble, and mature public 
servant. Wayne knows who he is and this will help him be an effective 
STB Member. Significantly, his experience, education, and training 
extend beyond the world of transportation. He understands the economics 
of business from his experience as an insurance underwriter and serving 
on the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center.
  Wayne Burkes answered our Nation's call to duty by serving in the Air 
Force and Mississippi's Air National Guard, including service in 
Vietnam. He rose to the rank of major general before retiring from the 
Air National Guard. His background includes over two decades as a 
pastor at his church, where he now serves as a deacon. He also 
volunteers his time and talents to assist the Boy Scouts of America.
  Mr. President, our Nation can count on Wayne Burkes to diligently and 
faithfully execute his duties as a member of the STB. He is the one of 
the most decent and honest men you could hope to find. We wish him well 
as he embarks on another public service mission.

                          ____________________