Richardson Wins OK for U.N. Envoy Post

Rep. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) won unanimous confirmation from the Senate to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The Senate voted 100-0 to give Richardson the post vacated by new Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Approval of Richardson, who will resign from Congress, was never in doubt. But there is less support for Clinton administration proposals to pay more than $1 billion in U.S. back dues to the United Nations. Meanwhile, the Senate Energy Committee postponed a vote on the nomination of Federico Pena to be Energy secretary. It also canceled a vote on a bill to require construction of a temporary storage facility for spent fuel from commercial nuclear reactors.