[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 15, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D479-D480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL CHEESE EXCHANGE--PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
and the Subcommittee on Risk Management and Specialty Crops held a 
joint hearing to consider issues raised by a recently released study of 
trading practices and procedures on the National Cheese Exchange. 
Testimony was heard from Alan Tracy, Secretary, Department of 
Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, State of Wisconsin; and 
public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND THE JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and the Judiciary held a hearing on the Secretary of State. Testimony 
was heard from Warren M. Christopher, Secretary of State.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia 
held a hearing on the D.C. Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Request. Testimony 
was heard from Andrew F. Brimmer, Chairman, D.C. Financial 
Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from Members of Congress.
SECURITIES AMENDMENTS OF 1996
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported amended H.R. 3005, Securities 
Amendments of 1996.
ELECTRICITY REGULATION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held an 
oversight hearing on Electricity Regulation: A Vision for the Future. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FEDERAL AGENCY ANTI-LOBBYING ACT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Held a hearing on H.R. 
3078, Federal Agency Anti-Lobbying Act. Testimony was heard from 
Senator Stevens; Representative Tauzin; J. Davitt McAteer, Acting 
Solicitor General, Department of Labor; Robert Nordhaus, General 
Counsel, Department of Energy; May Lou Keener, General Counsel, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Joseph B. Dial, Commissioner, Commodity 
Futures Trading Commission; Jonathan Cannon, General Counsel, EPA; 
Robert P. Murphy, General Counsel, GAO; Lou Fisher, Senior Specialist, 
American National Government, Congressional Research Service, Library 
of Congress; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; HISTORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered and amended 
the following resolution and adopted a motion urging the Chairman to 
request that it be considered on the Suspension Calendar: H. Con. Res. 
154, to congratulate the Republic of China on Taiwan on the occasion of 
its first Presidential democratic election.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the History of Armenian 
Genocide. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on H.R. 3396, Defense of Marriage Act. Testimony was heard from 
the following members of various State Legislatures: Terrance W.H. Tom, 
Representative, Hawaii; Edward Fallon, Representative, Iowa; Marilyn 
Musgrave, Representative, Colorado; Ernest Chambers, Senator, Nebraska; 
and Deborah Whyman, Representative, Michigan; and public witnesses.
MISCELLENEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property approved for full Committee action a measure relating to PTO 
Government Corporation, Reexamination of Patents, Publication of Patent 
Applications, Prior Domestic User Rights, Patent Reexamining Reform, 
and Investor Protection Rights.
  The Subcommittee failed to approve H.R. 359, to restore the term of 
patents.
FISH AND WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES AND MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife activities and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Brewster; from the following officials of the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior: Robert 
Streeter, Assistant Director, Refuges and Wildlife; and Monty Halcomb, 
Director, Law Enforcement; Charles Williams, Senator, State of Florida; 
Brent Manning, Director, Department of

[[Page D480]]

Natural Resources. State of Illinois; and public witnesses.
BUDGET RESOLUTION
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule, 
providing no further general debate, and that H. Con. Res. 178, 
establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government 
for fiscal year 1997 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for 
fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, shall be considered as 
read. The rule provides for consideration of only those amendments 
designated in section 2 of the resolution which may be offered only in 
the order designated, may be offered only by the Member designated or a 
designee (except that if no Member offers the amendment designated in 
paragraph 3 of section 2, then that amendment shall nevertheless be 
considered as pending at that point), shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to amendment.
  The rule makes in order three amendments in the nature of a 
substitute that are: (1) an amendment to be offered by Representative 
Payne of New Jersey, or a designee (2) an amendment to be offered by 
Representative Orton of Utah, or a designee and (3) an amendment to be 
offered by Representative Sabo of Minnesota, or which may be offered by 
any Member, or which shall be considered as pending. The rule waives 
all points of order against the amendments designated in section 2.
  The rule provides that the adoption of an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute shall constitute the conclusion of consideration of the 
concurrent resolution for amendment. The rule provides that after the 
conclusion of consideration of the concurrent resolution for amendment, 
there will be 40 minutes of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee 
on the Budget.
  The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the 
concurrent resolution and amendments thereto to final passage without 
intervening motion except amendments offered by the chairman of the 
Committee on the Budget to achieve mathematical consistency. The 
concurrent resolution will not be subject to a demand for a division of 
the question. The rule provides that if H. Con. Res. 178 is agreed to 
allocations of spending and credit responsibilities in House Report 
104-575 shall be considered as the allocations otherwise required by 
section 602(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. However, upon 
adoption by the Congress of a concurrent resolution on the budget, this 
shall cease to apply. Finally, the rule provides that rule XLIX 
(establishment of statutory limit on the public debt) shall not apply 
with respect to the adoption by the Congress of a concurrent resolution 
on the budget for fiscal year 1997. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Kasich; and Representatives Sabo, Stenholm, Orton, Meek of Florida, 
Owens, and Sanders.
MINIMUM WAGE AND ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYMENT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on small businesses and 
entry-level employment opportunities, with emphasis on the minimum wage 
and other proposals for increasing entry-level employment 
opportunities. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SMALL SATELLITES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Small Satellites. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.