FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Mr. Chairman, Senator Moynihan, and Members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today as the President's nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs and Public Liaison. I appreciate your great courtesy in scheduling this hearing for me and my colleagues from the Treasury Department.

Senator Moynihan, I come from the great state of New York. I was born and raised in Poughkeepsie. I am fortunate to be joined here today by my mother Jean, originally from Syracuse, and my father Ed, originally from Brooklyn.

I am most grateful to President Clinton for nominating me and to Secretary Summers for selecting me for this position. I joined the Treasury Department two and a half years ago as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Legislative Affairs. As Deputy Assistant Secretary, I have focused on issues in the tax and budget arena, though I have been exposed to Treasury's efforts in many areas, such as trade policy, federal law enforcement, financial institution policy, and international assistance programs, among other important tasks. I have enjoyed working for Secretaries Summers and Rubin who have always held the deepest respect for, and sought to maintain a close and cooperative relationship with, the Congress. I have learned from watching my predecessors Linda Robertson and Michael Levy that the Assistant Secretary's primary purpose is to ensure that the views of Congress are known and fully considered by the Department and the Administration, while at the same time providing Treasury's views to the Congress in a timely fashion.

Mr. Chairman, Senator Moynihan, I come to you as this Administration draws to a close, and would like to take a moment to express the Department's appreciation for the courteous, bipartisan, and professional manner that this Committee has handled our nominations throughout these seven and a half years. Frank Polk, David Podoff, and their staffs also deserve special thanks. As a result of this Committee's actions, our Department has always been prepared to function effectively in the domestic and international arena. It is my primary goal, with the strong support from the Secretary, to carry on the close and cooperative relationship that our Department and this Committee have shared.

Thank you for the privilege to appear before you today and I would be pleased to respond to any questions.