Clinton Names New Currency Comptroller

President Clinton has appointed Treasury official John D. Hawke Jr. to a shortened stint as comptroller of the currency, responsible for regulating nationally chartered banks. The White House announced the one-year “recess” appointment of Hawke, whose Senate confirmation for the post has been blocked for months by some Democratic senators. To get a full five-year term in the post, Hawke must win Senate approval. The White House said Monday that Clinton, who first nominated Hawke in July, intends to resubmit his nomination when the new Congress convenes in January. Hawke, 65, has been undersecretary for domestic finance at the Treasury Department since June 1995. The comptroller’s office, part of the Treasury Department, oversees some 2,600 banks nationwide.