January 26, 2002 - Associated Press: U.S. Senate confirms Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps director

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: Peace Corps Headlines - 2002: 01 January 2002 Peace Corps Headlines: January 26, 2002 - Associated Press: U.S. Senate confirms Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps director

By Admin1 (admin) on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 11:07 am: Edit Post

U.S. Senate confirms Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps director





Read and comment on this story from the Associated Press on the confiramtion of Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps Director at:

U.S. Senate confirms Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps director*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



U.S. Senate confirms Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps director

Saturday, January 26, 2002 Breaking News Sections

(01-26) 07:33 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

The U.S. Senate has confirmed the Bush administration nomination of former Orange County Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez as director of the Peace Corps.

Vasquez was one of 40 presidential nominees confirmed unanimously Friday without dissent.

"I am very pleased that the U.S. Senate has confirmed my nomination from President Bush," Vasquez said in a statement released by the Peace Corps. "I look forward to coming to the Peace Corps and working with this fine organization that means so much to the world."

Vasquez, a former police officer who also became an executive with Southern California Edison, will lead the 7,300-volunteer agency despite opposition by a group of former corps volunteers. During a contentious confirmation hearing in December, Vasquez's critics lamented his lack of international experience and role in Orange County's $1.6 billion bankruptcy in 1994.

His detractors said they were frustrated with his confirmation for the $133,700-a-year job.

"I think we expected it, and I think it's wait-and-see at this point," said former volunteer Barbara Ferris. "I can assure you that we will watch his tenure closely."

John Coyne, a leader of a group called the Committee to Preserve the Peace Corps, also said he was disappointed with the confirmation.

Coyne and other critics said politics rather than policy played a role in Vasquez's appointment. As an adviser to Bush's presidential campaign, Vasquez transferred $100,000 from his dormant campaign treasury to the Bush campaign.

Vasquez did have strong support from the state's two Democratic senators. Sen. Barbara Boxer, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, spoke in favor of his nomination.

"I think he deserves this chance," said Boxer, who added that Vasquez promised her he would expand the program.

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By Joanne Roll on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 5:26 pm: Edit Post

I am sorry that in choosing Vasquez, Bush chose to bypass so many qualifed Latinos. However, Vasquez is now the Director and is entitled to the same kind of support previous political appointees have received from the Peace Corps community. If Vasquez can mobiilize the talent in the Latino community and renew Peace Corps in this Hemisphere, that a good day comes. Vasquez spoke to the barriers to participation that the Peace Corps volunteer structure creates. If he can change those, so that talent from all segments of America can volunteer, that a good thing has happened. I wish him well. Pero, por mi parte, I will continue to work for a future Peace Corps in which service to one's country is valued more that money to one political party; a future in which Peace Corps is respected worldwide for its technical competence; a future in which when Volunteers return home and begin to speak to their fellow Americans about their experience, the likes of Barbara Boxes will not dare tell them to sit down and shut up.

By Admin1 (admin) on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 6:56 pm: Edit Post

Read our editorial on the debate over the Gaddi Vasquez nomination for Peace Corps Director, what it means to the Returned Volunteer community, and where we go from here at:

Editorial: Returned Volunteers should be Proud 26 January


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