[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 50 (Thursday, April 18, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D332-D334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS--AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, and Related Agencies held hearings on proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 1997, receiving testimony in behalf of funds 
for their respective activities from James Lyons, Under Secretary for 
Natural Resources and Environment, Paul W. Johnson, Chief, Pearlie S. 
Reed, Associate Chief, Thomas A. Weber, Deputy Chief for Natural 
Resource Programs, Richard L. Duesterhaus, Deputy Chief for Soil 
Science and Resource Assessment, Sherman L. Lewis, Deputy Chief for 
Management and Strategic Planning, and Robert K. Reaves, Director, 
Budget Planning and Analysis Division, all of the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, and Dennis L. Kaplan, Deputy Director for Budget, 
Legislative, and Regulatory Systems, all of the Department of 
Agriculture.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, April 23.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported an 
original bill to authorize multiyear contracting for the C-17 aircraft 
program.
  Also, committee began consideration of S. 1635, to establish a United 
States policy for the deployment of a national missile defense system, 
but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
CBO ECONOMIC FORECAST
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings to review the 
Congressional Budget Office economic and budget outlook for fiscal 
years 1997 through 2006, after receiving testimony from June E. 
O'Neill, Director, Congressional Budget Office.
SPECTRUM USE AND MANAGEMENT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee resumed 
hearings to examine Federal policies with regard to the use and 
management of the electromagnetic radio frequency spectrum, receiving 
testimony from George Gilder, Discovery Institute, Seattle, Washington; 
Nicholas Negroponte, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; 
Peter Huber, Manhattan Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; Janice 
Obuchowski, Freedom Technologies, former Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce and Director of the National Telecommunications and 
Information

[[Page D333]]

Administration, and Philip Verveer, Public Safety Wireless Advisory 
Committee, both of Washington, D.C.; W. Harrell Freeman, Radiophone, 
Inc., Metairie, Louisiana; Harold O'Dell, Leflore Communications, Inc., 
Greenwood, Mississippi; and Randy P. Parker, Tenneco Energy, Houston, 
Texas.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST PLAN
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held hearings to 
examine issues with regard to the draft supplement to the revision of 
the Tongass National Forest Land Management Plan, the first forest plan 
completed under the requirements of the National Forest Management Act 
of 1976, receiving testimony from Jack Ward Thomas, Chief, Phil Janik, 
Regional Forester, Region 10, Tom Mills, Station Director, Pacific 
Northwest Experiment Station, and Gail Kimbell, Forest Supervisor, 
Tongass National Forest, all of the Forest Service, Department of 
Agriculture, who were accompanied by several of their associates.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings on the 
nominations of Richard L. Morningstar, of Massachusetts, for the rank 
of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Advisor to the 
President and to the Secretary of State on Assistance to the New 
Independent States (NIS) of the Former Soviet Union and Coordinator of 
NIS Assistance, Kenneth C. Brill, of California, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Cyprus, Christopher Robert Hill, of Rhode Island, to be 
Ambassador to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Day Olin 
Mount, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland, after 
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. Mr. 
Morningstar was introduced by Senator Kerry.
EXPANDING U.S. EXPORTS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Economic 
Policy, Export and Trade Promotion concluded hearings to examine the 
impact of a balanced Federal budget on the international business 
environment, focusing on the role of U.S. government programs and 
policies in promoting international exports and investments, after 
receiving testimony from Willard A. Workman, United States Chamber of 
Commerce, James H. Andrews, M.W. Kellogg Co., on behalf of the 
Coalition for Employment Through Exports, Joel L. Johnson, Aerospace 
Industries Association, and Kenneth Hobbie, United States Feed Grain 
Council, all of Washington, D.C.; and Allen J. Lenz, Chemical 
Manufacturers Association, Arlington, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  The nomination of Robert E. Morin, to be an Associate Judge of the 
Superior Court of the District of Columbia;
  H.R. 1880, to designate the United States Post Office building 
located at 102 South McLean, Lincoln, Illinois, as the ``Edward Madigan 
Post Office Building'', in lieu of S. 1443, Senate companion measure;
  H.R. 2262, to designate the United States Post Office building 
located at 218 North Alston Street in Foley, Alabama, as the ``Holk 
Post Office Building'';
  H.R. 2704, to provide that the United Sates Post Office building that 
is to be located on the 2600 block of East 75th Street in Chicago, 
Illinois, shall be known and designated as the ``Charles A. Hayes Post 
Office Building'';
  S. 1080, to provide additional stock index investment funds for the 
Thrift Savings Plan under the Federal Employees' Retirement System, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1577, to authorize funds for fiscal years 1998 through 2001 for 
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission;
  H.R. 1508, to require the transfer of title to the District of 
Columbia of certain real property in Anacostia Park to facilitate the 
construction of National Children's Island, a cultural, educational, 
and family-oriented park;
  H.R. 1271, to protect the privacy of families by requiring parental 
consent for certain types of information asked of minors in Federally 
funded surveys and evaluations;
  S. 253, to repeal certain prohibitions against political 
recommendations relating to Federal employment, and to reenact certain 
provisions relating to recommendations by Members of Congress; and
  S. 1579, to streamline and improve the effectiveness of the Single 
Audit Act of 1984 to promote sound financial management, including 
effective internal controls, with respect to Federal awards 
administered by non-Federal entities, with an amendment;
  Also, committee established the following new subcommittee:
  Subcommittee on Financial Management and Accountability: Senators 
Thompson (Chairman), Cohen, McCain, Brown, Glenn, Pryor, and Dorgan.
EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business: Committee held hearings to examine the 
impact of the proposed Teamwork

[[Page D334]]

for Employees and Management Act (S. 295), which allows for employers 
and employees to meet together to address issues of mutual interest as 
long as their organizations do not engage in collective bargaining, on 
small business, receiving testimony from William D. Budinger, Rodel, 
Inc., Newark, Delaware, on behalf of the National Association of 
Manufacturers; Chester McCammon, Universal Dynamics, Inc., Woodbridge, 
Virginia; Donna C. Gooch and Harold L. Pascoe Jr., both of Sunsoft 
Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Dennis Rampe, Precision Litho, 
San Diego, California, on behalf of the Printing Industries of America, 
Inc.; Edward E. Potter, Employment Policy Foundation, Washington, D.C.; 
G. Roger King, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Columbus, Ohio, on behalf of 
the Society for Human Resource Management; James R. Rundle, Cornell 
University, Ithaca, New York; and Owen E. Herrnstadt, International 
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Upper Marlboro, 
Maryland.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
INDIAN PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee continued oversight hearings on 
the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 1997 for Indian 
programs, receiving testimony from Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary of 
the Interior for Indian Affairs; and Gerald N. Tirozzi, Assistant 
Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.