Packwood Panel Replacement Named Dole Appoints Delaware Republican To Head Senate Finance Committee

Members of the U.S. Senate heaved a sigh of relief late Friday when Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., stepped down immediately as chairman of the Finance Committee and said his resignation from the Senate would take effect Oct. 1.

Amid public pressure from Democrats, Packwood scheduled his departure in an exchange of “Dear Bob” letters with Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. Dole recommended both steps and Packwood accepted in a terse, three-sentence reply.

Thursday night, Packwood announced his resignation, avoiding expulsion over a damning array of sexual and official misconduct charges unanimously brought by the Ethics Committee.

Friday night, Dole adhered to seniority and announced that Sen. William Roth, R-Del., 74, would take over the Finance Committee.

Meanwhile, Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas - who along with Dole is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination - Friday denied wrongdoing in arranging a 1992 contribution to the Republican Party of Oregon that Packwood said at the time might be illegal. Packwood expressed his concerns in the diaries that were used as evidence against him and released by the Senate Ethics Committee, which is now investigating Gramm.

After Packwood announced his intention to resign, Dole proposed giving his colleague 60 to 90 days to give up his power. During that time, Dole said, Packwood would be allowed to wrap up his Senate business and serve as the powerful finance panel’s nominal chairman.

But Friday morning, Democrats fumed over the delay and vowed to force Packwood out sooner. Some Republicans marveled at Packwood’s hubris and pleaded patience. And White House spokesman Mike McCurry said the nation could not wait three months for Packwood to get out of town.

Packwood’s fate and that of the critical agenda now before Congress - taxes, Medicare, welfare - had become inextricably intertwined, McCurry said. Therefore, Packwood’s continued unwelcome presence “might complicate the work that needs to be done in the coming weeks to resolve budget issues and move the nation’s business forward,” McCurry said.

Finally, late in the afternoon, after a day of ducking reporters’ queries, Dole broke into the debate over welfare and announced that the sex-scandal senator had responded positively to his letter recommending that he give up the Finance Committee chairmanship and leave Congress for good no later than Oct. 1.

Dole immediately left the Capitol to court support for his presidential bid from members of the Christian Coalition, who are meeting here to discuss morality and American politics.