ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 31, 1997 TAG: 9701310056
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
Federico Pena, moving to another chair in President Clinton's Cabinet, eased through a confirmation hearing on his nomination to be energy secretary Thursday despite sharp criticism of the administration's approach to nuclear waste storage.
As Pena, the former transportation secretary, gathered bipartisan support in the Senate Energy Committee, the full Senate, by a 95-2 vote, confirmed Chicago attorney William Daley to head the Commerce Department.
Daley was sworn in Thursday by Vice President Al Gore in a small ceremony attended only by his family, said White House spokesman Mike McCurry.
``That's the way he wanted to do it, and that was fine by us,'' McCurry said.
Both the Commerce and Energy departments have been under attack from congressional Republicans who either want to reduce their influence or - in the case of Energy - eliminate the department altogether.
The Senate committee is expected to vote on Pena's nomination soon, and approval by the full Senate is expected.
``I'm more than comfortable with your nomination,'' said Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., reflecting the views of both Republican and Democratic senators.
Defending the department, Pena said that it was essential to have energy interests represented in the Cabinet and called the department's continued maintenance of the nation's nuclear stockpile ``a vitally important national security responsibility.''
The Senate's confirmation of Daley, the son of the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and brother of current Mayor Richard Daley, had been expected.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, praised Daley for promising to reform the department, saying he ``has a tough road ahead of him, but I'm sure he will do a fine job.''
Daley has vowed to eliminate 100 of the department's 256 political jobs before the end of the year and conduct a ``top-to-bottom'' review of trade missions, especially procedures used to select the business executives who go on such trips.
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB