[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D667-D668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the Labor, Health and 
Human Services, Education appropriations for fiscal year 1997.
PRESIDENTIAL AND EXECUTIVE OFFICE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology held a hearing on 
H.R. 3452, Presidential and Executive Office Accountability Act. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Mica and Shays; Franklin S. 
Reeder, Director, Office of Administration, Executive Office of the 
President; and public witnesses.
PERSIAN GULF WAR SYNDROME
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Resources and 
Intergovernmental Relations continued hearings on the Status of Efforts 
to Identify Persian Gulf War Syndrome, Part III. Testimony was heard 
from Stephen Joseph, Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs, Department of 
Defense; the following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: 
Gary Hickman, Director, Compensation and Pension; and Frances Murphy, 
Director, Environmental Service; and public witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights held a hearing on International Exchanges. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the USIA: Joseph D. 
Duffey, Director; and John P. Loiello, Associate Director, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs.
EXTREMIST ACTIVITY IN THE MILITARY
Committee on National Security: Held a hearing on extremist activity in 
the military. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Togo D. West, Jr., Secretary of the Army; John 
H. Dalton, Secretary of the Navy; Sheila E. Widnall, Secretary of the 
Air Force; and Edwin Dorn, Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; 
and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on lifting the 
moratorium on listings of species under the Endangered Species Act. 
Testimony was heard from John Rogers, Acting Director, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Rolland Schmitten, 
Assistant Administrator, Fisheries, NOAA, Department of Commerce; Teel 
Bivins, Senator, State of Texas; and public witnesses.
CHINA--MOST FAVORED NATION
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing for 
consideration in the House of H.J. Res. 182, disapproving the extension 
of nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) to the 
Products of the People's Republic of China, and waives all points of 
order against the joint resolution and its consideration. The rule 
provides for two hours of debate, equally divided between the Chairman 
of the Committee on Ways and Means and a proponent of the joint 
resolution. The rule further provides that, pursuant to the Trade Act 
of 1974, the previous question is ordered to final passage without 
intervening motion.
  The rule provides that after the disposition of H.J. Res. 182, it 
shall be in order to consider in the House a resolution, expressing the 
sense of the Congress regarding U.S. concerns with human rights abuses, 
nuclear and chemical weapons proliferation, illegal weapons trading, 
military intimidation of Taiwan, and trade violations by the People's 
Republic of China and the People's Liberation Army, and directing the 
committees of jurisdiction to commence hearings and report appropriate 
legislation. The rule provides one hour of debate equally divided 
between Representative Cox, or his designee, and a Member opposed. 
Finally, the rule orders the previous question to adoption without 
intervening motion. Testimony was heard from Representatives Archer, 
Rohrabacher, Cox, Hunter, Funderburk, Gibbons, Pelosi, and Kaptur.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 3675, making appropriations for the Department 
of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1997.
  The rule waives section 401(a) of the Budget Act (prohibiting 
consideration of legislation containing contract authority not yet 
previously subject to appropriations) against consideration of the 
bill.
  The rule waives clause 6 (prohibiting reappropriation) of rule XXI 
against provisions in the bill and clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized 
and legislative

[[Page D668]]

provisions) of rule XXI against provisions in the bill except as 
otherwise specified in the rule.
  The rule provides that the amendment printed in section 2 of the 
resolution shall be considered as adopted.
  The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to 
Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce votes to 
five minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a fifteen 
minute vote. The rule provides that a motion to rise and report the 
bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted shall 
have precedence over a motion to amend, if offered by the Majority 
Leader or a designee after the reading of the final lines of the bill. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representative Wolf.
OVERSIGHT--RESEARCH LABORATORY PROGRAMS
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held an oversight 
hearing on research Laboratory programs at NIST. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Department of Commerce: Robert Hebner, Acting Deputy 
Director; and Shukri Wakid, Acting Director, Information Technology 
Laboratory; and public witnesses.
AVIATION SAFETY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Aviation Safety: Issues Raised by the Crash 
of Valujet Flight 592. Testimony was heard from Senator Cohen; James E. 
Hall, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; the following 
officials of the Department of Transportation: Mary Schiavo, Inspector 
General; David R. Hinson, Administrator; and Anthony Broderick, 
Associate Administrator, Regulations and Certification, both with the 
FAA; and public witnesses.