[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D123-D126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water continued 
appropriation hearings. Testimony was heard from congressional and 
public witnesses.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative held a hearing 
on the Joint Committee on Taxation and the GAO. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Archer; and the following officials of the GAO: 
Charles Bowsher, Comptroller General; James Hinchman, Special Assistant 
to the Comptroller General; Gene Dodaro, Assistant Comptroller General, 
Operations; and Richard Brown, Controller.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction held 
a hearing on Quality of Life in the Military. Testimony was heard from 
the following Senior Service Enlisted Advisors, Department of Defense: 
Gene McKinney, USA; John Hagan, 

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USN; Louis Lee, USMC; and Dana Kampanell, USAF.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation continued 
appropriation hearings. Testimony was heard from congressional and 
public witnesses.
RURAL CREDIT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital 
Markets, Securities and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing 
on Rural Credit. Testimony was heard from Mark Drabenstott, Vice 
President and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Federal 
Reserve System; Clarence W. Hawkins, Mayor, Bastrop, Louisiana; and 
public witnesses.
CANCER PATIENT ACCESS--UNAPPROVED TREATMENTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on Cancer Patient Access to Unapproved Treatments. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Defazio; and public witnesses.
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance 
held a hearing on H.R. 2979, Public Broadcasting Self-Sufficiency Act 
of 1996. Testimony was heard from Richard W. Carson, President and CEO, 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL CONTRACT COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACT
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities: Subcommittee on 
Employer-Employee Relations held a hearing on the Office of Federal 
Contract Compliance Programs and H.R. 2138, Equal Opportunity Act of 
1995. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CENSUS 2000
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Held a hearing on Census 
2000: Putting Our Money Where It Counts. Testimony was heard from 
Senator Kohl; Representatives Sawyer and Petri; and public witnesses.
TENANT INITIATIVE PROGRAMS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources and Intergovernmental Relations held a hearing on HUD's 
Management of Tenant Initiative Programs. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Housing and Urban Development: 
Susan Gaffney, Inspector General; Patricia Arnaudo, Deputy Director, 
Program Development; and Kevin Marchman, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Public and Indian Housing; Ed Moses, Deputy Executive Director, 
Community Relations and Involvement, Housing Authority, Chicago, 
Illinois; Miguel Rodriguez, Executive Director, Public Housing 
Authority, Puerto Rico; and a public witness.
CUBAN DOWNING OF UNITED STATES CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Shoot Down 
of U.S. Civilian Aircraft by Castro Regime. Testimony was heard from 
Peter Tarnoff, Under Secretary, Political Affairs, Department of State; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law approved for full Committee action the following 
measures: H.J. Res. 129, granting consent of Congress to the Vermont-
New Hampshire Interstate Public Water Supply Compact; H.R. 2604, 
Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 1995; and H.R. 2977, Administrative Dispute 
Resolution Act of 1996.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.J. Res. 
129. Testimony was heard from Representatives Bass and Sanders.
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held a hearing on the 
Independent Counsel Statute and H.R. 892, Independent Counsel 
Accountability and Reform Act of 1995. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Hyde and Dickey; Joseph E. diGenova, former Independent 
Counsel; Abner Mikva, former White House Counsel and U.S. Circuit Judge 
(rtd.); Lawrence Walsh, former Independent Counsel and U.S. District 
Judge (rtd.); David Clark, Director, Audit, Oversight and Liaison, GAO; 
Melvin J. Bryson, Jr., Chief, Administrative Services Office, 
Administrative Office of the United States Courts; John C. Keney, 
Acting Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice; and a public 
witness.
WHITE HOUSE TRAVEL OFFICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims 
approved for full Committee action H.R. 2937, for the reimbursement of 
legal expenses and related fees incurred by former employees of the 
White House Travel Office with respect to the termination of their 
employment in that Office on May 19, 1993.

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BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Research and 
Development met to discuss Ballistic Missile Defense.
INTERNATIONAL DOLPHIN PROTECTION
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans 
held a hearing on H.R. 2823, International Dolphin Conservation Act and 
H.R. 2856, International Dolphin Protection and Consumer Information 
Act of 1995. Testimony was heard from Senators Biden and Boxer; 
Representatives Cunningham and Bilbray; Timothy Wirth, Under Secretary, 
Global Affairs, Department of State; the following officials of the 
Department of Commerce: Douglas K. Hall, Assistant Secretary, Oceans 
and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator, NOAA; and Elizabeth Edwards, 
Leader, Dolphin Safe Research Program, Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center, National Marine Fisheries Service; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--RENEWABLE RESOURCES PLANNING ACT PROGRAM
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and 
Lands held an oversight hearing on the Forest Service's Draft 1995 
Renewable Resources Planning Act Program. Testimony was heard from 
David Unger, Associate Chief, Forest Service, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
REGULATORY SUNSET REVIEW ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 994, Regulatory Sunset and Review Act of 1995, 
to be equally divided by the chairmen and ranking minority members of 
the Committees on Government Reform and Oversight and the Judiciary. 
The rule makes the amendment in the nature of a substitute by 
Representative Hyde printed in the Congressional Record on February 29 
as amendment numbered 1 in order as an original bill for the purposes 
of amendment.
  The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute be 
considered by title, and that the first section and each title shall be 
considered as read, and waives points of order against the amendment in 
the nature of a substitute for failure to comply with clause 7 of rule 
XVI (germaneness). The rule accords priority in recognition to Members 
who have preprinted their amendment in the Congressional Record. The 
rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  The rule vacates action by which the House amended and passed S. 219. 
The rule provides that it be in order to take from the Speaker's table 
and consider the Senate bill. The rule allows for a motion to be 
offered by Chairman Clinger that the House strike all after the 
enacting clause of the Senate bill and insert the text of H.R. 994 as 
passed by the House. The rule allows 1 hour of debate on the motion to 
be equally divided and controlled between the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 
waives germaneness point of order against the motion, and allows one 
motion to commit. Finally, the rule provides that if the motion to 
amend is adopted, then it shall be in order to move that the House 
insist on its amendments and request a conference with the Senate. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Clinger; and Representatives Gekas, 
Meyers of Kansas, and Chapman.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MODERNIZATION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a 
hearing on National Weather Service Modernization Program Status. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Commerce: D. James Baker, Administrator, NOAA and Under Secretary for 
Oceans and Atmosphere; and Frank DeGeorge, Inspector General; Jack L. 
Brock, Jr., Director, Information Resources Management, Resources, 
Community, and Economic Development, GAO; and a public witness.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM--AIRPORT PRIVATIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Airport Improvement Program, with emphasis 
on Airport Privatization. Testimony was heard from Gerald L. 
Dillingham, Associate Director, Transportation Issues, Resources, 
Community, and Economic Development Division, GAO; Gerald Fitzgerald, 
Director, Aviation Department, The Port Authority of New York and New 
Jersey; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue March 7.
HOSPITAL INSURANCE TRUST FUND--FINANCIAL REVIEW
 Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing to review the current 
financial condition of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. 
Testimony was heard from Robert E. Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury; 
Donna E. Shalala, Secretary, Health and Human Services; and Sarah F. 
Jaggar, Director, Health Financing and Policy Issues Division, GAO.

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Joint Meetings
CUBAN LIBERTY AND DEMOCRATIC SOLIDARITY ACT
Conferees on Wednesday, February 28, agreed to file a conference report 
on H.R. 927, to seek international sanctions against the Castro 
Government in Cuba, and to plan for support of a transition government 
leading to a democratically elected government in Cuba.
FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 1561, to consolidate the foreign affairs 
agencies of the United States; to authorize appropriations for the 
Department of State and related agencies for fiscal years 1996 and 
1997; and to responsibly reduce the authorizations of appropriations 
for the United States foreign assistance programs for fiscal years 1996 
and 1997, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on 
Tuesday, March 5.