[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D484-D486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS--FBI/DEA/STATE DEPARTMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
the Judiciary and Related Agencies held hearings on proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 1997, receiving testimony in behalf of funds 
for their respective activities from Louis J. Freeh, Director, Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, Thomas A. Constantine, Administrator, Drug 
Enforcement Administration, both of the Department of Justice; and 
Warren Christopher, Secretary of State.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Thursday, May 23.
APPROPRIATIONS--FOREIGN ASSISTANCE/NIS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations held 
hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 1997 for foreign 
assistance to the New Independent States (N.I.S.), receiving testimony 
from Richard L. Morningstar, U.S. Coordinator for N.I.S. Assistance, 
Department of State; Thomas A. Dine, Assistant Administrator for Europe 
and the N.I.S., U.S. Agency for International Development; and 
Constantine Menges, George Washington University, and Eugene Iwanciw, 
Central and East European Coalition, both of Washington, D.C.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, May 21.
APPROPRIATIONS--COAST GUARD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation and Related 
Agencies concluded hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 1997, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for the United 
States Coast Guard from Adm. Robert E. Kramek, Commandant, United 
States Coast Guard, Department of Transportation.
APPROPRIATIONS--NASA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 
1997 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, receiving 
testimony from Daniel S. Goldin, Administrator, NASA.
  Subcommittee will meet again tomorrow.

[[Page D485]]


MISSION TO PLANET EARTH
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Science, Technology, and Space concluded hearings on the status and 
purpose of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Mission to 
Planet Earth Program, after receiving testimony from Charles F. Kennel, 
Associate Administrator, Doug Norton, Director of Management 
Integration, both of the Office of Mission to Planet Earth, and Fritz 
Hasler, Research Meterologist and Manager of Public Use of Remote 
Sensing Data, Goddard Space Flight Center, all of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration; Robert S. Winokur, Assistant 
Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Donald T. 
Lauer, Chief, EROS Data Center, United States Geological Survey, 
Department of the Interior; David P. Radzanowski, Analyst in Aerospace 
Policy, Science Policy Research Division, Congressional Research 
Service, Library of Congress; Frank Carsey, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 
Pasadena, California; and George A. Seielstad, University of North 
Dakota, Grand Forks, on behalf of the Upper Midwest Aerospace 
Consortium.
NATIONAL TRAILS AND PARKS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Parks, 
Historic Preservation and Recreation concluded hearings S. 621, to 
designate the Great Western Trail for potential addition to the 
National Trails System, H.R. 531, to designate the Great Western Scenic 
Trail as a study trail under the National Trails System Act, S. 1049, 
to designate the route from Selma to Montgomery as a National Historic 
Trail in Alabama, S. 1706, to increase the amount authorized to be 
appropriated for assistance for highway relocation with respect to the 
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia, and S. 
1725, to create a third category of long-distance trails to be known as 
national discovery trails and to authorize the American Discovery Trail 
as the first national discovery trail, after receiving testimony from 
Senators Nunn, Brown, and Bennett; Representatives Bereuter, John 
Lewis, and Hilliard; Katherine H. Stevenson, Associate Director for 
Cultural Resource Stewardship and Partnerships, National Park Service, 
Department of the Interior; Gray F. Reynolds, Deputy Chief, and Brent 
Botts, Trails Program Manager, both of the Forest Service, Department 
of Agriculture; George Boulineau, Georgia Department of Transportation, 
Atlanta; and Reese F. Lukei, Jr., Virginia Beach, Virginia, and John 
O'Dell, River to River Trail Society, Harrisburg, Illinois, both on 
behalf of the American Discovery Trail/American Hiking Society.
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Economic 
Policy, Export and Trade Promotion concluded hearings to examine the 
status of the international commercial environment and the Federal 
Government's role in supporting United States business abroad, after 
receiving testimony from Joan E. Spero, Under Secretary of State for 
Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs; Timothy J. Hauser, Deputy 
Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade; Martin A. Kamarck, 
President and Chairman, Export-Import Bank of the United States; Ruth 
R. Harkin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation; and J. Joseph Grandmaison, Director, United 
States Trade and Development Agency.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  S. 1488, to convert certain excepted service positions in the United 
States Fire Administration to competitive service positions;
  S. 88, to increase the overall economy and efficiency of Government 
operations and enable more efficient use of Federal funding, by 
enabling local governments and private, nonprofit organizations to use 
amounts available under certain Federal assistance programs in 
accordance with approved local flexibility plans, with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute;
  S. 94, to prohibit congressional consideration of retroactive tax 
increases, with amendments;
  S. 1130, to provide for the establishment of uniform accounting 
systems, standards, and reporting systems in the Federal Government, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  H.R. 2739, to provide for a representational allowance for Members of 
the House of Representatives, and to make technical and conforming 
changes to sundry provisions of law in consequence of administrative 
reforms in the House of Representatives, with an amendment.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of William A. Fletcher, of California, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.
  Also, committee began markup of S. 483, to amend Federal copyright 
provisions regarding preemption of laws concerning duration of 
copyrights, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject 
to call.

[[Page D486]]


HEALTHY START PROJECT
Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Committee concluded oversight 
hearings on the implementation of the Healthy Start Demonstration 
Project of the Department of Health and Human Services, created to 
reduce infant mortality, and its proposed authorization for fiscal year 
1997, after receiving testimony from Senator Specter; Ciro V. Sumaya, 
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department 
of Health and Human Services; Louis W. Sullivan, Morehouse School of 
Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, former Secretary of Health and Human 
Services; Thomas P. Coyle, Baltimore City Health Department, Doretha 
Strawther, and Christopher Banks, all of Baltimore, Maryland; Jackie 
Jenkins-Scott, Dimock Community Health Center, Roxbury, Massachusetts; 
and Marie C. McCormick, Harvard University School of Public Health, 
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
WHITEWATER
Special Committee to Investigate the Whitewater Development Corporation 
and Related Matters: Committee resumed hearings to examine certain 
matters relative to the Whitewater Development Corporation, receiving 
testimony from Gary W. Bunch, Madison Bank and Trust, John Latham, and 
David Knight, all of Little Rock, Arkansas.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.