[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 166 (Wednesday, October 25, 1995)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1252-D1254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RURAL DEVELOPMENT REFORMS AND AGRICULTURE RELIEF AND TRADE ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Resource Conservation, 
Research, and Forestry held a hearing to consider rural development 
reforms and the Agricultural Relief and Trade Act of 1995. Testimony 
was heard from Jill Long Thompson, Under Secretary, Rural Economic and 
Community Development Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
MARKETS AND TRADING REORGANIZATION, AND REFORM ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital 
Markets, Securities and Government Sponsored Enterprises continued 
hearings on H.R. 718, Markets and Trading Reorganization and Reform 
Act. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Financial 
Institutions and Market Issues Division, GAO: Jim Bothwell, Director; 
Helen Hsing, Associate Director; Michael Burnett, Assistant Director; 
and Frank J. Philippi, Evaluator.
HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 657, 
to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act applicable to the 
construction of three hydroelectric projects in the State of Arkansas; 
H.R. 680, to extend the time for construction of certain FERC licensed 
hydro projects; H.R. 1011, to extend the deadline under the Federal 
Power Act applicable to the construction of a hydroelectric project in 
the State of Ohio; H.R. 1014, amended, to authorize extension of time 
limitation for a FERC-issued hydroelectric license; H.R. 1051, to 
provide for the extension of certain hydroelectric projects located in 
the State of West Virginia; H.R. 1290, amended, to reinstate the permit 
for, and extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act applicable to 
the construction of, a hydroelectric project in Oregon; H.R. 1335, to 
provide for the extension of a hydroelectric project located in the 
State of West Virginia; H.R. 1366, to authorize the extension of time 
limitation for the FERC-issued hydroelectric license for the Mt. Hope 
waterpower project; and H.R. 1835, to extend the deadline under the 
Federal Power Act applicable to the construction of a hydroelectric 
project in Oregon.
FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities: Subcommittee on 
Workforce Protections held an oversight hearing on the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Knollenberg and Bateman; and public witnesses.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service concluded hearings on Civil Service Reform I: NPR and the Case 
for Reform. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--CENSUS BUREAU
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held an oversight 
hearing on Census Bureau: Preparations for the 2000 Census. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Commerce: 
Francis D. DeGeorge, Inspector General; and Martha Farnsworth Riche, 
Director, Bureau of the Census; and L. Nye Stevens, Director, Planning 
and Reporting, General Government Division, GAO.
FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT AMENDMENTS; ANDERSON v. ROSE; COMMITTEE 
BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Ordered reported H.R. 2527, to amend the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to improve the electoral process 
by permitting electronic filing and preservation of Federal Election 
Commission reports.
  The Committee approved a motion to dismiss the election contest in 
the 7th District of North Carolina, Anderson versus Rose.
  The Committee also approved other pending committee business.
  
[[Page D1253]]

UNITED STATES-JAPAN RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on United States-Japan Relations and American 
Interests in Asia: Striking a New Balance. Testimony was heard from 
Winston Lord, Assistant Secretary, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 
Department of State; Joseph S. Nye, Assistant Secretary, International 
Security Affairs, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
TRADE ISSUES REGARDING CHILE
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere 
Affairs held a joint hearing on Trade Issues Regarding Chile and other 
Latin American Countries in Light of the NAFTA Experience. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Kolbe, Kaptur, Hunter and Dunn; Ira 
Shapiro, Special Negotiator for Japan and Canada, Office of the U.S. 
Trade Representative; Alexander F. Watson, Assistant Secretary, Inter-
American Affairs, Department of State; William E. Barreda, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Trade and International Policy, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.
NEW GATT PATENT ACCORD IMPACT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on the Impact on U.S. 
Exporters of the New GATT Patent Accord. Testimony was heard from Bruce 
A. Lehman, Commissioner, Patent and Trademarks, Department of Commerce; 
and a public witness.
RACE AND GENDER PREFERENCE PROGRAMS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing regarding the Economic and Social Impact of Race and Gender 
Preference Programs. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 826, 
to extend the deadline for the completion of certain land exchanges 
involving the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas; H.R. 924, to 
prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from transferring any National 
Forest System lands in the Angeles National Forest in California out of 
Federal ownership for use as a solid waste landfill; H.R. 1838, to 
provide for an exchange of lands with the Water Conservancy District of 
Washington County, UT; H.R. 1581, to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of the 
Department of Agriculture to the city of Sumpter, OR; H.R. 207, 
amended, Cleveland National Forest Land Exchange Act of 1995; H.R. 
1163, amended, to authorize the exchange of National Park Service land 
in the Fire Island National Seashore in the State of New York for land 
in the Village of Patchogue; H.R. 1585, Modoc National Forest Boundary 
Adjustment Act; and H.R. 2437, to provide for the exchange of certain 
lands in Gilpin County, CO.
SOCIAL SECURITY EARNINGS TEST REFORM SEVEN-YEAR BALANCED BUDGET 
RECONCILIATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 9 to 4, a rule providing for 
twenty minutes of debate in the House of H. Con. Res. 109, Social 
Security earnings test reform. The rule provides three hours of 
additional general debate on H.R. 2491, Seven-Year Balanced Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1995. The rule provides that an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 2517 modified by 
the amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules on the 
rule shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee 
of the Whole; that the bill as amended shall be considered as an 
original bill for the purpose of further amendment and that all points 
of order against provisions of the bill as amended are waived. No 
amendment shall be in order to the bill as amended except an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 2530, 
which may only be offered by the Minority Leader or his designee. The 
amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read, 
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall be debatable for one hour 
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. All 
points of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute are 
waived. The rule provides that after a motion to rise has been rejected 
on any day, another such motion may only be offered by the Minority 
Leader or the Budget Committee chairman. The rule provides one motion 
to recommit which, if containing instructions, may only be offered by 
the Minority Leader or a designee. The rule provides that the yeas and 
nays are ordered on final passage and that the provisions of clause 
5(c) of Rule XXI (requiring a three-fifths vote on any amendment or 
measure containing a Federal income tax rate increase) shall not apply 
to the votes on the bill, amendments thereto or conference reports 
thereon. Testimony was heard from Chairman Kasich and Representatives 
Miller of Florida, Roberts, Ney, Fox, Cremeans, Klug, Horn, Davis, 
Rohrabacher, Salmon, Young of Alaska, Hancock, Bunn of Oregon, Sabo, 
Stenholm, Mollohan, Costello, Orton, Pomeroy, Meek of Florida, de la 
Garza, Johnson of South Dakota, Peterson of Minnesota, Dooley, Thurman, 
Hinchey, Waxman, Markey, Wyden, Richardson, 

[[Page D1254]]
Pallone, Deutsch, Gene Green of Texas, and Collins of Illinois.
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND ADVANCEMENT ACT; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Science: Ordered reported amended H.R. 2196, National 
Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995.
  The Committee also met to consider Committee business.
SMALL BUSINESS--REGULATORY AND PAPERWORK BURDENS
Committee on Small Business: Held an oversight hearing on ``IRS 
Initiatives to Reduce Regulatory and Paperwork Burdens on Small 
Business.'' Testimony was heard from Margaret Milner Richardson, 
Commissioner, IRS, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
OVERSIGHT--TRUMAN VA MEDICAL CENTER
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Hospitals and Health 
Care held an oversight hearing concerning management issues at the 
Harry S Truman VA Medical Center in Columbia, Missouri. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs: Gordon D. Christensen, M.D., Associate Chief of Staff, 
Research and Development and John T. Carson, Director, both with the 
Harry S Truman Medical Center; William T. Merriman, Deputy Inspector 
General; Jack H. Kroll, Assistant Inspector General, Departmental 
Reviews and Management Support; Thomas L. Garthwaite, M.D., Deputy 
Under Secretary, Health, Veterans Health Administration; and Robert E. 
Coy, Deputy General Counsel.

Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--FOREIGN OPERATIONS
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 1868, making 
appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related 
programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996.
APPROPRIATIONS--ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 1905, making 
appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 1996.
APPROPRIATIONS--TREASURY/POSTAL SERVICE
Conferees agreed to file a conference report in disagreement on the 
differences between the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 2020, 
making appropriations for the Treasury Department, the United States 
Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and certain 
Independent Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of S. 652, to provide for a pro-competitive, de-
regulatory national policy framework designed to accelerate rapidly 
private sector deployment of advanced telecommunications and 
information technologies and services to all Americans by opening all 
telecommunications markets to competition, but did not complete action 
thereon, and recessed subject to call.