[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 16, 1994)]
[Daily Digest]
[Page D]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]

 Committee Meetings
URUGUAY ROUND GATT AGREEMENT
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the Uruguay Round 
GATT Agreement. Testimony was heard from Mike Espy, Secretary, USDA; 
and Michael Kantor, U.S. Trade Representative.
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the FDA. Testimony was heard from David A. Kessler, M.D., 
Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, USDA.
  The Subcommittee also continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary held a hearing on the U.S. Travel and Tourism 
Administration, the Competitiveness Policy Council and the SEC. 
Testimony was heard from Greg Farmer, Under Secretary, Travel and 
Tourism, U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration, Department of 
Commerce; C. Fred Bergsten, Chairman, Competitiveness Policy Council; 
and Arthur Levitt, Jr., Chairman, SEC.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Air Force Procurement Programs. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of the Air 
Force: Lt. Gen. Richard E. Hawley, USAF, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary; Maj. Gen. George T. Babbitt, Jr., USAF, Director, Supply, 
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics; and Darleen A. Druyun, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Acquisition.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Logistics and Spare parts. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Lt. Gen. Johnnie E. Wilson, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, 
Logistics; VAdm. Stephen F. Loftus, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval 
Operations (Logistics); Lt. Gen. John M. Nowak, USAF, Deputy Chief of 
Staff (Logistics); and Lt. Gen. R.A. Tiebout, USMC, Deputy Chief of 
Staff (Installations and Logistics).
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development met in executive session to hold a hearing on Department of 
Energy (Atomic Energy Defense Activities). Testimony was heard from 
Adm. Bruce DeMars, USN, Director, Office of Naval Reactors, Department 
of Energy: and the following officials of the Defense Nuclear 
Facilities Safety Board: John T. Conway, Chairman; A.J. Eggenberger, 
Vice Chairman; John W. Crawford, Jr., Joseph J. DiNunno and Herbert 
Kouts, all members.
LABOR--HHS--EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor--HHS--Education held 
a hearing on the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the 
National Mediation Board, the National Labor Relations Board and the 
Armed Forces Retirement Home. Testimony was heard from John Calhoun 
Wells, Director, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; Ernest W. 
DuBester, Chairman, National Mediation Board; William B. Gould, IV, 
Chairman, NLRB; and Dennis W. Jahnigen, Chairman, Armed Forces 
Retirement Home Board.
TREASURY--POSTAL SERVICE--GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury--Postal Service--
General Government held a hearing on the National Archives and Records 
Administration, the United States Tax Court and the Office of 
Government Ethics. Testimony was heard from Trudy H. Peterson, Acting 
Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records 
Administration; Lapsley W. Hamblen, Jr., Chief Judge, U.S. Tax Court; 
and Stephen D. Potts, Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
VA, HUD, INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Consumer Information Center and the U.S. 
Office of Consumer Affairs. Testimony was heard from Teresa N. Nasif, 
Director, Consumer Information Center, GSA; and Polly Baca, Director, 
U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Continued hearings on the fiscal year 1995 
national defense authorization, with emphasis on the Administration's 
defense program and budget. Testimony was heard from Robert D. 
Reischauer, Director, CBO.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Military Application of Nuclear Energy 
Panel continued hearings on the fiscal year 1995 national defense 
authorization, with emphasis on the Department of Energy environmental 
restoration and waste management. Testimony was heard from Thomas P. 
Grumbly, Assistant Secretary, Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management, Department of Energy; Steven A. Herman, Assistant 
Administrator, Enforcement, EPA; Mary Riveland, Director, Department of 
Ecology, State of Washington; and a public witness.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT
Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Housing and Community Development continued hearings on H.R. 3838, 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1994, with emphasis on 
Community Development Block Grant Program and the Home Improvement 
Partnership Program. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
REEMPLOYMENT ACT
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on the Reemployment 
Act of 1994. Testimony was heard from Robert B. Reich, Secretary of 
Labor.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Labor Standards, 
Occupational Health and Safety held an oversight hearing on Section 14 
C of the Fair Labor Standards Act regarding workers in sheltered 
workshops. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported amended the 
following bills: H.R. 3626, Antitrust Reform Act of 1993; and H.R. 
3636, National Communications Competition and Information 
Infrastructure Act of 1993.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Ordered reported the following measures: 
H.R. 3813, amended, Environmental Export Promotion Act of 1994; and H. 
Con. Res. 124, concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i 
community.
SOMALIA: PROSPECTS FOR PEACE AND STABILITY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing on 
Somalia: Prospects for Peace and Stability. Testimony was heard from 
David Shinn, Director, East African Affairs, Department of State.
UNITED STATES FOREIGN ASSISTANCE--EASTERN EUROPE, EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN 
AND IRELAND
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle 
East held a hearing on United States Foreign Assistance to Eastern 
Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and Ireland. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Bureau for European and Canadian 
Affairs, Department of State: Stephen A. Oxman, Assistant Secretary; 
and Ralph Johnson, Coordinator, East European Assistance; Thomas Dine, 
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Europe and the New Independent 
States, AID, U.S. International Development Cooperation Agency; and 
Joseph Kruzel, Deputy Assistant Secretary, European and NATO Policy, 
Department of Defense.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
3626, amended, Antitrust Reform Act of 1993; H.R. 4030, Victims of 
Crime Act of 1994; H.R. 3979, amended, Mandatory Minimum Sentencing 
Reform Act of 1994; H.R. 1120, Assaults Against Children Act of 1993 
and H.R. 665, Insurance Fraud Prevention Act of 1993.
  The committee also began markup of H.R. 3981, to provide mandatory 
life imprisonment for persons convicted of a third violent felony.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 3886, to amend the boundaries of the Flower 
Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; H.R. 2063, National Coastal 
Resources Development Act of 1993; H.R. 1394, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Improvement Act; H.R. 2760, 
amended, Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1994; and H.R. 
3664, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the State of 
Minnesota the New London National Fish Hatchery production facility.
URBAN RECREATION AND AT-RISK YOUTH ACT
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported amended H.R. 4034, 
Urban Recreation and At-Risk Youth Act of 1994.
HEALTH CARE INFORMATION MODERNIZATION AND SECURITY ACT
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service: Subcommittee on Census, 
Statistics and Postal Personnel concluded hearings on H.R. 3137, Health 
Care Information Modernization and Security Act of 1993. Testimony was 
heard from Nan Hunter, Deputy General Counsel, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--FEDERAL WORKFORCE RESTRUCTURING ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted a rule waiving all points of order against 
the conference report to accompany H.R. 3345, Federal Workforce 
Restructuring Act of 1994, and against its consideration. The rule 
provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Clay and Representatives Hoyer, Myers 
of Indiana and Castle.
LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Subcommittee on Rules of the House held a hearing 
on H.R. 3801, Legislative Reorganization Act of 1994, with emphasis on 
the provisions addressing scheduling, attendance and legislative 
procedures. Testimony was heard from Representatives Brown of 
California, Synar, Skaggs, Roemer, Oberstar and Livingston.
  Hearings continue March 24.
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Committee on Small Business: Continued hearings on health care reform, 
with emphasis on issues facing the nation's small business community--
the employer mandate. Testimony was heard from Mark Nadel, Associate 
Director, National and Public Health Issues, Human Resources Division, 
GAO; John C. Lewin, M.D., Director of Health, State of Hawaii; and a 
public witness.
HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Hospitals and Health 
Care approved for full Committee action the following bills; H.R. 4013, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs with flexibility in staffing the Veterans Health 
Administration, to authorize the Secretary to establish pilot programs 
for health care delivery; and H.R. 1617, to authorize the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to lease space at the Hines, Illinois, VA Medical 
Center to a nonprofit entity to establish a Ronald McDonald House to 
provide temporary accommodations for family of severely ill children 
being treated at nearby hospitals.
HEALTH SECURITY ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health continued markup of 
H.R. 3600, Health Security Act of 1993.
  Will continue tomorrow.
TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS--IMPROVE COMPLIANCE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the U.S. Department of Treasury's Proposals to Improve Compliance by 
Tax-Exempt Organizations. Testimony was heard from Leslie B. Samuel, 
Assistant Secretary, Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury.
ESTABLISHING STATUTORY BASIS FOR CLASSIFYING INFORMATION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Held a hearing on 
Establishing Statutory Basis for Classifying Information. Testimony was 
heard from Elizabeth Rindskopf, General Counsel, CIA; John T. Elliff, 
Director, Counterintelligence and Security Program, Office of the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Intelligence, Department of Defense; Harold 
C. Relyea, Specialist, American National Government, Government 
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
GOALS 2000: EDUCATE AMERICA ACT
Conferees continued in evening session to resolve the differences 
between the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 1804, to improve 
learning and teaching by providing a national framework for education 
reform, to promote the research, consensus building, and systemic 
changes needed to ensure equitable educational opportunities and high 
levels of educational achievement for all American students, to provide 
a framework for reauthorization of all Federal education programs, and 
to promote the development and adoption of a voluntary national system 
of skill standards and certifications.