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Congressional Record—Senate S12586

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Congressional Record—Senate S12586 S12586 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE October 14, 1998 know that phony issue ads paid for man, educator, and philanthropist, and land Press Herald, Providence Journal, with unlimited corporate and union he gained diplomatic experience as a Riverside (Ca.) Press-Enterprise, Rocky funds undermine the ability of citizens member of the U.S. delegation to the Mountain News, San Diego Union-Trib- to understand who is bankrolling the 51st U.N. Human Rights Commission in une, San Francisco Chronicle, San candidates and why. We can find bipar- Geneva in 1995 and as a member of the Francisco Examiner, Santa Rosa (Ca.) tisan solutions to these problems that U.S. delegation to the 51st U.N. Gen- Press Democrat, Seattle Post-Intel- protect legitimate First Amendment eral Assembly in 1997. He was even con- ligencer, Springfield (Ill.) Journal-Reg- rights if we are willing to put partisan firmed unanimously by this very Sen- ister, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Pe- political advantage aside and sit down ate for the latter post on May 23, 1997. tersburg Times, Syracuse Post-Stand- and work it out. He has been an upstanding civic lead- ard, Tulsa World, Washington Post, Senator MCCAIN and I are readyÐwe er in San Francisco, and he has been and York (Pa.) Daily Record. have been ready ever since we intro- honored for his work by organizations Many of these newspapers have also duced our billÐto make changes to our too numerous to mention. He is a man run op-ed columns which call for a vote bill that will bring new supporters on who is kind to all he meets, generous on the nomination, as have the: Ari- board and get us past the 60 vote beyond measure, and deeply committed zona Republic, Buffalo News, Columbus threshold that the Senate rules have to making the world and his commu- Dispatch, Dallas Morning News, Denver placed in our way, so long as we stay nity a better place to live for all peo- Post, Des Moines Register, Detroit true to the goal of a cleaner, fairer, ple. He is a devoted father of five grown News, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, system in which money will no longer children, and grandfather of 13. Anyone Greensboro News & Record, Madison dominate. who knows him, as I have been privi- Capital Times, Memphis Commercial I look forward to continuing this leged to do for over two decades, knows Appeal, Northern New Jersey Record, work next year Mr. President. And I that he is a man of decency and honor, Raleigh News & Observer, Salt Lake am confident that we will succeed. and the type of person who should be City Tribune, and USA Today. Again, I want to thank Senator MCCAIN encouraged to be in public service. I deeply regret that the Senate has and all the Republicans who joined our So this is the situation we face: we not been permitted to have its say on bill this year. And of course, Senator have a nominee with outstanding tal- this eminently qualified nominee sole- DASCHLE and all the Democratic Sen- ents and credentials; he was previously ly because he is gay. But the Senate's ators who have so steadfastly sup- confirmed by this Senate for another failure to act need not prevent Mr. ported bipartisan reform in this Con- post; he was approved by the Foreign Hormel from assuming his post. In a gress. Relations Committee by a 16±2 vote case such as this, where the Senate has Mr. President, most important legis- nearly a year ago; and over 60 Senators so clearly failed to fulfill its Constitu- lative accomplishments take more support bringing his nomination to a tional obligation with respect to a than one Congress to enact. Rome was vote. And yet, we have never had the nomination, even though a clear ma- not built in a day, and campaign fi- opportunity to vote on it. jority of the Senate supports that nom- nance reform obviously could not be Why? Because several Senators on ination, I believe it is entirely appro- enacted in a year. But I believe that the other side of the aisle have placed priate for the President to use his Con- early in the next Congress there will be holds on the nomination, preventing a stitutional authority to make a recess a real chance to deal with the cam- debate and a vote they knew they appointment. Luxembourg is a NATO ally, and we paign finance issue in a bipartisan would lose. And the Majority Leader need an ambassador there. Mr. Hormel fashion to make the election in the has refused to call up the nomination, effectively allowing the passage of has every qualification necessary to be Year 2000 cleaner and fairer than the an outstanding ambassador, and he one we just had or the one we are about time to kill it. Why has Mr. Hormel been denied the would have been overwhelmingly con- to have. The American people deserve firmed if the Senate had been allowed that as we enter a new century, and Constitutionally delineated due proc- ess of a Senate debate and vote? The to vote. But we were not. I, therefore, here is a promise: I will never, ever, urge President Clinton, after Congress give up this fight until we give it to answer is simple: Mr. Hormel is gay. With no other reasonable grounds to adjourns, to make a recess appoint- them. ment of James Hormel to be U.S. Am- f block this nomination, one can come to no other conclusion than that some bassador to Luxembourg. It is the right THE NOMINATION OF JAMES C. Senators are simply opposed to a gay thing to do, and it will give the coun- HORMEL man serving our country as a U.S. Am- try the benefit of the service of James Hormel, which the Senate has failed to Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, as bassador. I believe the Senate does not do. want to allow this type of discrimina- the 105th Congress draws to a close, I Mr. President, because the Senate rise to express my disappointment over tion to prevail, and I think the vast has not had the opportunity to debate something we did not do. The Senate, majority of my colleagues agree. But this nomination, I ask unanimous con- despite strong support from both sides so far, it appears that discrimination sent to place in the RECORD some of the of the aisle, has not brought the nomi- has prevailed. materials I would have used in the I believe the majority of Americans nation of James C. Hormel to serve as course of that debate, including some agree with this position as well. To cite U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg to the of the notable editorials, op-ed pieces, just one measure, newspaper editorials floor, has not had a debate on the nom- and letters of support that have come have appeared in support of Mr. ination, and has not had a vote on it. to my attention. This failure is really quite incompre- Hormel's nomination across the coun- There being no objection, the mate- hensible. try, including in the: Albany Times rial was ordered to be printed in the The President nominated James Union, Albuquerque Journal, Arkansas RECORD, as follows: Hormel for this post on October 6, 1997. Democrat-Gazette, Atlanta Journal & [From the Los Angeles Times, July 22, 1998] After a thorough review by the Senate Constitution, Boston Globe, Charleston GAME'S NOT OVER FOR HORMEL (W.Va.) Gazette, Chicago Tribune, Cin- Foreign Relations Committee, the Even though this hasn't been a notably committee approved the nomination by cinnati Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, busy or productive year for the U.S. Senate, a vote of 16±2 and reported it to the full Detroit Free Press, Evansville Courier, Majority Leader Trent Lott has decided that Senate with the recommendation that Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hartford there simply is no time available to vote on it be confirmed. And yet here it is, Oc- Courant, Houston Chronicle, Los Ange- the nomination of James Hormel as ambas- tober 14, 1998, in the final hours of this les Times, Louisville (Ky.) Courier- sador to Luxembourg. Never mind that Congress, and the nomination has not Journal, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star- Hormel's confirmation has been pending Tribune, Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger, since last fall, that hearings on his fitness budged from the Executive Calendar. have long since been completed or that Lott Mr. Hormel is eminently qualified for New Orleans Times Picayune, New early on declared his unshakable belief that the job of U.S. Ambassador to Luxem- York Daily News, New York Times, Pe- Hormel should not represent his country bourg. He has had a diverse and distin- oria Journal-Star, Philadelphia In- abroad because he is a homosexual. The ex- guished career as a lawyer, business- quirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Port- cuse du jour is that the Senate calendar is October 14, 1998 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE S12587 too crowded to permit a confirmation vote. cause of his sexual nature. If the right to television interview that he thought homo- So Lott and a handful of others of like mind earn a living and contribute to one's country sexuality was a sin. He likened it to alcohol- will have denied the Senate its constitu- is a ``special right,'' it is a special right that ism, kleptornania and ``sex addiction.'' The tional responsibility to advise and consent to must be available to all Americans. next day, Dick Armey, the House majority this nomination.
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