[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D375-D378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND THE JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State 
and the Judiciary held a hearing on the Federal Maritime Commission and 
Maritime Administration; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; 
the Commerce Department Inspector General and Commerce Department Under 
Secretary for Technology; the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology; and the Patent and Trademark Office. Testimony was heard 
from Harold J. Creel, Jr., Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission; 
Albert J. Herberger, Administrator, Maritime Administration, Department 
of Transportation; Gilbert F. Casellas, Chairman, EEOC; and the 
following officials of the Department of Commerce: Frank DeGeorge, 
Inspector General; Mary Good, Under Secretary, Technology; Arati 
Prabhaker, Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology; 
and Bruce Lehman, Assistant Secretary and Commissioner of Patents.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Agencies continued appropriation hearings. 
Testimony was heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
the Secretary of Energy and on the Forest Service. Testimony was heard 
from Hazel R. O'Leary, Secretary of Energy; and the following officials 
of the USDA: James Lyons, Under Secretary; and Jack Thomas, Chief, 
Forest Service.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the National Institute of 
Child Health and Human Development, the National Institution of General 
Medical Sciences, Buildings and Facilities, and on the Office of the 
Director. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: Duane Alexander, M.D., 
Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 
Marvin Cassman, M.D., Acting Director, National Institute of General 
Medicine Sciences; Stephen A. Ficca, Associate Director, Research 
Services, NIH; and Ruth Kirschstein, Deputy Director, NIH.
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service 
and General Government held a hearing on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco 
and Firearms Operations. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Treasury: James E. Johnson, 
Assistant Secretary, Treasury Law Enforcement; and John Magaw, 
Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and Norman J.

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Rabkin, Director, Administration of Justice Issues GAO.
VETERANS' AFFAIRS-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies held a hearing on NASA. 
Testimony was heard from Daniel S. Goldin, Administrator, NASA.
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions: Subcommittee on 
Domestic and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on the 
Administration's authorization requests for International Financial 
Institutions. Testimony was heard from Jeffrey R. Schafer, Assistant 
Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the Treasury; and Joan 
E. Spero, Under Secretary, Economic and Agriculture Affairs, Department 
of State.
ATM SURCHARGES
Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions: Subcommittee on 
Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit continued hearings on ATM 
Surcharges. Testimony was heard from Lawrence B. Lindsey, member, Board 
of Governors, Federal Reserve System; John Traier, Acting Commissioner, 
Department of Banking, State of New Jersey; and public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR--ABUSE OF POWER
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities: Subcommittee on 
Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the Abuse of Power at 
the Department of Labor. Testimony was heard from Charles Masten, 
Inspector General, Department of Labor; and a public witness.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING REFORM
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology held a hearing on 
Financial Management and Accounting Reform. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Campbell; Ronald C. Moe, Specialist, Congressional 
Research Service, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the 
Administration's Foreign Assistance Budget Request for Fiscal Year 
1997. Testimony was heard from J. Brian Atwood, Administrator, AID, 
U.S. International Development Cooperation Agency.
FAN FREEDOM AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported as amended H.R. 2740, Fan 
Freedom and Community Protection Act of 1995.
CAPTIVE EXOTIC ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT OF 1995
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held a hearing on 
H.R. 1202, Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act of 1995. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Brown of California, Fields of Texas, Geren 
of Texas, Goss, Brewster and Smith of Texas; Thomas J. Streigler, 
Acting Chief, Division of Law Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Personnel 
approved for full Committee action as amended H.R. 3230, National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Readiness 
approved for full Committee action as amended H.R. 3230, National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
3286, amended, Adoption Promotion and Stability Act of 1996; H.R. 2982, 
Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act; H.R. 2464, to amend 
Public Law 103-93 to provide additional lands within the State of Utah 
for the Goshute Indian Reservation; H.R. 2560, amended, to provide for 
conveyances of certain lands in Alaska to Chickaloon-Moose Creek Native 
Association, Inc., Ninilchik Native Association, Inc., Seldovia Native 
Association, Inc., Tyonek Native Corp., and Knikatnu, Inc. under the 
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and S. 1459, Public Rangelands 
Management Act of 1996.
  The Committee also approved a motion to authorize the issuance of a 
subpoena to compel the appearance of a witness.
CONFERENCE REPORT--BALANCED BUDGET DOWNPAYMENT ACT, II
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 3019, making 
further appropriations for fiscal year 1996 to make a further 
downpayment toward a balanced budget, and against its consideration. 
The rule provides that the conference report shall be considered as 
read. Testimony

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was heard from Chairman Livingston and Representative Obey.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on intellectual property 
issues of importance to small business, with emphasis on examining 
different approaches to pressing patent term and patent disclosure 
issues that are contained in pending legislation (H.R. 359 and H.R. 
1733). Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
COAST GUARD AND MARITIME COMMISSION AUTHORIZATIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on the Coast Guard 
Budget Authorization for Fiscal Year 1997 and the Federal Maritime 
Commission Budget Authorization for Fiscal Year 1997. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department 
of Transportation: Adm. Robert Kramek, USCG, Commandant; and Eric A. 
Trent, USCG, Master Chief Petty Officer; Gerald L. Dillingham, 
Associate Director, Transportation and Telecommunications Issues, 
Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division, GAO; Harold J. 
Creel, Jr., Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission; and a public 
witness.
TRANSIT PROJECTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Surface 
Transportation held a hearing to review unauthorized Transit Projects 
and Legislative requests for fiscal year 1997. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Romero-Barcelo, Costello, Mica, McCollum, Dornan, Eddie 
Bernice Johnson of Texas. Frost, Hayes, Jefferson, Portman, Bunning of 
Kentucky, Lucas, Furse, Ford, Deutsch, Johnston, Diaz-Balart, Ros-
Lehtinen, Coyne, Mascara, Geren of Texas, McKinney, Gibbons, Schafer, 
Shaw and Meek of Florida; from the following officials of the 
Department of Transportation: Gordon J. Linton, Administrator, Federal 
Transit Administration, and Jack Basso, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Budget and Programs, Office of the Secretary;
TAX DEBT COLLECTION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on Tax Debt Collection Issues. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Jacobs, Ensign, Horn and Maloney; the following officials of the 
Department of the Treasury: Cynthia G. Beerbower, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Tax Policy; and James E. Donelson, Chief Taxpayer Service/
Acting Chief Compliance Officer, IRS; Lynda Willis, Director, Tax 
Policy and Administration Issues, GAO; Gene Gavin, Commissioner, 
Department of Revenue Services, State of Connecticut; Thomas Hoatlin, 
Commissioner of Revenue, Bureau of Revenue, State of Michigan; and 
public witnesses.
PERISHABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
H.R. 2795, to amend the Trade Act of 1974 and the Tariff Act of 1930 to 
clarify the definitions of domestic industry and like articles in 
certain investigations involving perishable agricultural products. 
Testimony was heard from Senator Graham; Representatives Goss, Pastor, 
Canady, Miller and Deutsch; Jennifer Hillman, General Counsel, Office 
of the U.S. Trade Representative; Becky Doyle, Director, Department of 
Agriculture, State of Illinois; Martha Roberts, Deputy Director, Food 
Safety, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, State of 
Florida; and public witnesses.
BOSNIA ARMS BRIEFING; UNWARNED SENSORS BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on Bosnia Arms. The Committee was briefed by a 
departmental witness.
  The Committee also met in an executive session to receive a briefing 
on Unwarned Sensors. The Committee was briefed by departmental 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
CROW CREEK TRUST FUND
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House 
Committee on Resources' Subcommittee on Native American and Insular 
Affairs concluded joint hearings on S. 1264 and H.R. 2512, bills 
authorizing funds to establish within the Department of the Treasury 
the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund, which 
will receive funds from the programs of the Eastern Division of the 
Missouri River Basin Pick-Sloan program until a specified Fund 
aggregate is attained, after receiving testimony from Senator Daschle; 
Representative Tim Johnson; Catherine Vandemoer, Special Assistant to 
the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs; Col. 
Michael S. Meuleners, Commander, Omaha District, United States Army 
Corps of Engineers; Duane Big Eagle and Ambrose McBride, both of the 
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Fort Thompson, South Dakota; Morgan R. Rees, 
Rees Engineering and Environmental Services, Alexandria,

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Virginia; Michael L. Lawson, Historical Research Associates, Inc., 
Arlington, Virginia; and Richard Bad Moccasin, Mni-Sose Intertribal 
Water Rights Coalition, Inc., Rapid City, South Dakota.