Clinton Fills Cabinet

With the last-minute shift of Transportation Secretary Pena to head the Energy Department, President Clinton today announced the remainder of his second-term Cabinet.

Pena, a former Denver mayor who had a rocky tenure as transportation secretary, was thought to be leaving the administration. But with Hispanic leaders calling on Clinton to have more Hispanic members in his Cabinet, and with Clinton's decision to pass over Rep. Esteban Torres, D- Calif., for labor secretary, Clinton tapped Pena to take the place of departing Energy Secretary O'Leary.

At today's news conference, Clinton also announced he will nominate White House Director of Public Liaison Alexis Herman to be labor secretary; Federal Highway Administrator Rodney Slater to be transportation secretary; and HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Andrew Cuomo to be HUD secretary. The president added that Agriculture Secretary Glickman, Veterans' Affairs Secretary Brown, Education Secretary Riley, Interior Secretary Babbitt and EPA Administrator Browner will stay in their current positions.

Clinton today also announced changes in his White House staff. Federal Reserve Board member Janet Yellen will take over as chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers, while Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Planning Bruce Reed will head the Domestic Policy Council. Presidential counselor Thomas (Mack) McLarty will take on an additional role as special envoy to Latin America. Domestic Policy Council Director Carol Rasco will move to the Education Department to lead the president's literacy initiative. Gen. Barry McCaffrey will continue as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Clinton also announced HUD Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Director Aida Alvarez will become head of the Small Business Administration.

Meanwhile, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Murkowski stands by a statement he issued Thursday that called for a DOE nominee with a strong professional background, a committee spokesman said today. Murkowski said Pena will face a tough and thorough review and added that the committee would wait until after the inauguration to act on the nomination to give senators and the nominee time to prepare.