The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, July 31, 1979-Page 5 SEATE MOVES QUICKLY TOWARD CABINET APPOINTMENT Pan1el O s Duncan nom ination WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Energy Committee unanimously ap- proved the nomination of Charles Dun- can as secretary of energy yesterday, as the Senate moved swiftly to confirm President Carter's appointments to his born-again Cabinet. Meanwhile, Carter's choice to head the Federal Reserve Board, Paul Volcker, pledged to the Senate Banking Committee that he will remain in- dependent of the administration and take a tough line on inflation. VOLCKER SAID the Federal Reser- ve Board - an independent body not part of the Cabinet - will not attempt to lower interest rates at a time of soaring inflation. He declined to speculate whether interest rates must go higher. The nominees testified as the Senate moved swiftly to confirm the appoin- tments made by Carter to the Cabinet he has overhauled drastically in the past two weeks. i Only two nominees - both announced last Friday - have not gone before Senate panels yet. They are Moon Lan- drieu, former mayor of New Orleans, named secretary of housing and urban development, and Neil Goldschmidt, mayor of Portland, Ore., appointed secretary of transportation. OF CARTER'S seven key appoin- tments, one already has won Senate confirmation - Patricia Roberts Harris as secretary of health, education, and welfare. At least three more are expected to go to the Senate floor this week - At- torney General-designate Benjamin Civiletti, Treasury Secretary-designate G. William Miller and Duncan. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to approve Civiletti's nomination today after three days of hearings. The Senate Finance Commit- tee has been holding hearings on Miller, former Federal Reserve chairman. Volcker's nomination as Miller's suc- cessor also could go to the floor this week. A Banking Committee vote on his appointment is expected tomorrow. THE SENATE Energy Committee's 16-0 approval of Duncan's appointment came after the 52-year-old former Coca-Cola president, who now serves as deputy defense secretary, assured senators he had been promised direct access to the president and that he will not serve simply as a minion of the White House staff. "I have a clear understanding that I will report directly to the president,". said Duncan, who would succeed James Schlesinger at the Energy Department. Senators reportedly have been con- cerned that Carter's shake-up would consolidate power in the White House and take Cabinet members out of the policy decision-making process. Dun- can sought to assure the senators that he, not the White House staff, "will deal with policv." Jerry Brown takes first step in run for U.S. presidency SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - ploratory period in whic California Gov. Edmund (Jerry) evaluate his support before Brown, Jr. took his first formal step full-fledged candidate. yesterday toward a second plunge into His top aide, Gray Dav presidential politics, moving at a pace governor expects the explo that has little resemblance to his to possibly last "a few n whirlwind campaign of 1976. wouldn't say if Brown h The Democratic governor announced decided to go beyond that. that an "exploratory" campaign com- "I don't want to try toc mittee will takea look at his chances in his state of mind," Davis sa the 1980 presidential race. The commit- who thinks seriously about; tee will be headed by Tom Quinn, a country's highest officeo longtime Brown advisor who will resign permitted a period of refle as chairman of the State Air R.esources his strength." Board. BROWN'S OFFICE said t FORMATION OF the committee had informed the Federa formally marks the start of Brown's Commission about his co second attempt to wrest the move that makes him an( Democratic nomination from Jimmy didate in the commission'se Carter. Federal elections law a] And although his announcement tial presidential candidat comes at a time when Carter is in bad money to test the politi political shape, that doesn't necessarily without registering with mean smooth sailing for the 41-year-old mission and reporting c Californian. He has his own troubles in and expenditures. California - the Democratic-controlled Fred Eiland, a commissi .legislature has recently overriden two ficer, says that explorat Brown vetoes - and he has been could include spending mot criticized as opportunistic. things as polling and travel. Brown defeated Carter in three BUT BROWN aide Tony primaries in 1976 in a last-minute bid to says a Brown exploratory head off the Georgian's drive to the like those of some other p White House. didates, would go beyond BUT THIS year Brown is moving more deliberately, talking of an ex- See BROWN, Page :h he would y becoming a is, says the ratory stage - nonths." He has already characterize id. "Anyone seeking this ought to be ction to test he governor l Elections mmittee, a official can- eyes. y lows poten- es to raise ical waters the com- ontributions on press of- ory activity ney on such Dougherty campaign, AP Ph ossible can- California Gov. Edmund Brown, Jr. boards a Western Airlines flight for d the law's Mexico where he will meet with Mexican President Jose Lopez-Portillo. Brown says he will announce plans about an "exploratory" presidential 10 campaign committee this week. I House defeats move to expel Diggs PREPARE F: (Continued from Page 3)OA* CMass.), asking for the opportunity to O'NEIL TOLD reporters earlier in Immediately after the expulsion consider the expulsion. the day, he felt the matter had been GMAT - OCAT - VAT - A motion was offered by Rep. Dan They objected that the one hour of fairly considered by the ethics commit- Lungren (R-Calif.), Assistant debate scheduled for today would not be tee, which recommended censure. Democratic Leader John Brademas(D- enough for the House to fully consider The ethics committee ended its in- Ind.), moved to table the motion. That how to deal with Diggs. . vestigation of Diggs last month when it A TBOA DS blocked any debate on the Diggs case. "THE RESOLUTION of this question accepted an offer from Diggs to plead NURSING A Before he offered his motion, will directly affect how the public views guilty of violating a House rule, to ac- Flexible Programs & H however, Lungren said the House each one of us as a member of this cept censure, to repay $40,031.66 to the Tere 1s a difference should first be able to consider the more body, not only Mr. Diggs," said the let- U.S. Treasury, and to apologize for his Sev nih t f ion bnt ter signed by 42 House members. actions. Oere pun1s1 men t expulsiui , would be prevented from doing so un- der the rules set by the Democratic leadership. "EXPULSION would be a moot point" if the House waited until today and approved the censure motion recommended by the House ethics committee, he said. Earlier, the Republicans had sent a letter to Speaker Thomas O'Neill (D- Asking that the House set aside three hours for the Diggs debate today, the letter said "it is difficult to believe that we can dispose of the outcome of one man's entire career in just one hour." Lungren said it was decided to press the matter yesterday when it became apparent the leadership would not grant the additional time for debate on expulsion today. French missionaries Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet discovered the Mississippi River in 1673. Their mission established the existence of waterways from the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, which would become a vital factor in the colonization of North America.