Storm Brewing Over Herman's Campaign Work - Jan 28, 1997

Clinton Finishes Cabinet Appointments - Dec. 20, 1996

Cabinet Shuffle -- Department of Labor

Senate Will Delay Herman's Confirmation Hearing

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 30) -- Winning Senate confirmation isn't going to be quick or easy for Alexis Herman, Bill Clinton's choice to head the Labor Department. Senate Republicans plan to hold up her confirmation while they probe her role in Democratic campaign fund-raising and political outreach.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said today Republicans want a fuller explanation of Herman's role in a meeting at the White House last year between President Bill Clinton, banking executives, Comptroller of the Currency Eugene Ludwig and Democratic fund-raisers.

"I don't think the explanation the White House has come up with so far is sufficient," Lott told The Associated Press today.

Lott said Sen. James Jeffords (R-Vt.), who chairs the committee reviewing Herman's nomination, has told him the panel "will take a close look at it."

The Clinton Administration has said that Herman, the White House's public liaison director, attended six of 102 White House coffees and none of the events were organized by Herman or her office.

Meanwhile, other Clinton appointees are sailing through the Senate's review process with no controversy.

The Senate voted 95-2 today to confirm Chicago attorney William M. Daley as commerce secretary. Daley, the brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, succeeds Mickey Kantor.

Daley's appointment encountered no significant opposition, after he pledged to eliminate 100 of the department's 256 political jobs by year's end.

The two dissenting votes on Daley were cast by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.)