[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D362-D364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS--DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held hearings on 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 1997 for the Department of 
Defense, focusing on Army programs, receiving testimony from Togo D. 
West, Jr., Secretary of the Army; and Gen. Dennis J. Reimer, Chief of 
Army Staff.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Wednesday, May 1.
APPROPRIATIONS--FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held hearings on 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 1997 for the Forest Service, 
receiving testimony from Jack Ward Thomas, Chief, Forest Service, 
Department of Agriculture.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Thursday, May 2.
DISTANCE LEARNING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Science, Technology, and Space concluded hearings on S. 1278, to 
establish an education satellite loan guarantee program for 
communications among education, Federal, State, and local institutions 
and agencies and instructional and educational resource providers, 
focusing on the effectiveness and value of distance learning (delivery 
of instruction via cable, fiber optic, microwave, or satellite 
connection) and how major technological and

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educational trends are impacting on distance learning, after receiving 
testimony from Linda G. Roberts, Director, Office of Educational 
Technology, Department of Education; Kimberly K. Obbink, Montana State 
University, Bozeman; Janet K. Lewis, University of South Dakota, 
Vermillion; Henry R. Marockie, West Virginia Department of Education, 
Charleston; Jessica Lambert, Mount View High School, McDowell County, 
West Virginia; Patrick S. Portway, San Ramon, California, and Glenn 
Kessler, Fairfax County, Virginia, both on behalf of the United States 
Distance Learning Association; Kenneth C. Elliott, University of Maine, 
Augusta; David Jupin, COMSAT RSI, Clarksburg, Maryland; Shelly 
Weinstein, National Education Telecommunications Organization and 
EDSAT, and Pat Wright, ETC with TCI, both of Washington, D.C.; and Carl 
E. Swearingen, Georgia BellSouth Telecommunications, Atlanta.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following bills:
  S. 1605, to amend and extend to September 30, 2001 certain 
authorities of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to manage the 
Strategic Petroleum Reserve, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute; and
  S. 1025, to provide for the exchange of certain federally owned lands 
and mineral interests therein, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  Also, committee began consideration of S. 391, to protect and restore 
the health of Federal forest lands, but did not complete action 
thereon, and recessed subject to call.
AUTHORIZATION--SUPERFUND
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded hearings 
on S. 1285, to authorize funds for fiscal years 1996 through 2000 for 
programs of the Comprehensive Environmental Recovery, Compensation, and 
Liability Act of 1980 (Superfund), after receiving testimony from 
Washington State Attorney General Christine O. Gregoire, Olympia, on 
behalf of the National Association of Attorneys General; Robert Varney, 
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Concord, on behalf 
of the National Governors' Association; James C. Colman, Massachusetts 
Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup, Boston, on behalf of the Association of 
State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials; Michael J. 
Farrow, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Pendelton, Oregon; Robert L. Stickels, Sussex County, Delaware, on 
behalf of the National Association of Counties; Andrew H. Card, Jr., 
American Automobile Manufacturers Association, and Robert E. Vagley, 
American Insurance Association, both of Washington, D.C.; Marion 
Trieste, Saratoga Springs Hazardous Waste Coalition, Inc., Saratoga 
Springs, New York, on behalf of the Sierra Club; Barbara Williams, 
Sunnyray Restaurant, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on behalf of the 
National Federation of Independent Business; Richard B. Stewart, New 
York University School of Law, on behalf of the Coalition for Natural 
Resource Damages Reform, and Sarah Chasis, Natural Resources Defense 
Council, both of New York, New York; Michael A. Szomjassy, OHM 
Corporation, Findlay, Ohio; and Velma M. Smith, Friends of the Earth, 
Seattle, Washington.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings on the 
nomination of Princeton Nathan Lyman, of Maryland, to be Assistant 
Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, after the 
nominee, who was introduced by Senator Kassebaum, testified and 
answered questions in his own behalf.
U.S. BANKRUPTCY SYSTEM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight 
and the Courts concluded hearings to examine the request of the 
Judicial Conference of the United States for 11 additional bankruptcy 
judgeships and the efficiency of the United States Trustee program, 
established to protect and preserve the integrity of the bankruptcy 
system, after receiving testimony from Joseph Patchan, Director, 
Executive Office for United States Trustees, Department of Justice; 
Chief Judge Paul A. Magnuson, United States District Court for the 
District of Minnesota, and Chairman, Judicial Conference Committee on 
the Administration of the Bankruptcy System, Judicial Conference of the 
United States; Judge William E. Anderson, Lynchburg, Virginia, on 
behalf of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges; Roger L. 
Efremsky, Efremsky & Nagel, Pleasonton, California; Henry E. 
Hildebrand, III, Nashville, Tennessee, on behalf of the National 
Association of Chapter Thirteen Trustees; Laurence P. Morin, Lynchburg, 
Virginia, on behalf of the Association of Bankruptcy Professionals, 
Inc.; and Robin E. Phelan, American Bankruptcy Institute, Dallas, 
Texas.
VA BUDGET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the 
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 1997 for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, after receiving testimony from Jesse 
Brown, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Hershel Gober, Deputy Secretary, 
Kenneth W. Kizer, Under Secretary for Health, R. John Vogel, Under 
Secretary for Benefits,

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Jerry W. Bowen, Director, National Cemetery Service, D. Mark Catlett, 
Assistant Secretary for Management, and Mary Lou Keener, General 
Counsel, all of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  Committee recessed subject to call.
AUTHORIZATION--INTELLIGENCE/ROLE OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee began markup of proposed 
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 1997 for the intelligence 
community, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to 
call.
  Also, committee resumed hearings on the roles and capabilities of the 
United States intelligence community, receiving testimony on 
intelligence community reforms from John M. Deutch, Director of Central 
Intelligence.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
WHITEWATER
Special Committee to Investigate the Whitewater Development Corporation 
and Related Matters: Committee resumed hearings to examine certain 
issues relative to the Whitewater Development Corporation, receiving 
testimony from Wooten Epes, on behalf of the Arkansas Housing 
Development Finance Authority, Helen Herr, and Paul Mallard, both on 
behalf of the Arkansas State Building Services, Patricia Heritage Hayes 
and Charles Peacock, both on behalf of the Madison Guaranty Savings and 
Loan, Greg Hopkins, Hopkins Law Firm, and Lance Miller, Mitchell, 
Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, all of Little Rock, Arkansas.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.