[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 111 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D814-D817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings

PROCESSOR-FUNDED MILK PROMOTION PROGRAM

Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held an oversight hearing on the processor-funded milk promotion 
program (MilkPEP) established by the Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990. 
Testimony was heard from Richard M. McKee, Director, Dairy Division, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; and public witnesses.

BUDGET RECONCILIATION

Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Began consideration of the 
following reconciliation recommendations to be transmitted to the 
Committee on the Budget for inclusion in the Budget Reconciliation Act: 
Title III, Subtitle A--Deposit Insurance Funds; Subtitle B--Thrift 
Charter Conversion.

  Committee recessed subject to call.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS--ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on Federal Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products. Testimony 
was heard from Representative Gillmor; the following officials of the 
Department of Energy: Christine A. Ervin, Assistant Secretary, Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and Michael McCabe, Director, Office 
of Codes and Standards; and public witnesses.

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT AMENDMENTS

Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities: Subcommittee on 
Early Childhood, Youth and Families approved for full Committee action 
amended H.R. 3876, Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention 
Act of 1996.


[[Page D815]]

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; DRAFT REPORTS

Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 3841, amended, Omnibus Civil Service Reform Act 
of 1996; H.R. 3864, amended, GAO Management Reform Act; H.R. 3452, 
amended, Presidential and Executive Office Accountability Act; H.R. 
3637, Travel Reform and Savings Act of 1996; H.R. 3802, amended, 
Electronic Freedom of Information Act; H.R. 3869, amended, Electronic 
Reporting and Streamlining Act; H.R. 1281, War Crimes Disclosure Act; 
H.R. 3625, National Historical Publications and Records Commission 
Reauthorization Act; H.R. 3768, to designate a United States Post 
Office to be located in Groton, MA, as the ``Augusta `Gusty' Hornblower 
United States Post Office''; and H.R. 3834, to designate the Dunning 
Post Office in Chicago, IL, as the ``Roger P. McAuliffe Post Office''.

  The Committee also approved the following draft reports: ``Protecting 
the Nation's Blood Supply from Infectious Agents: The Need for New 
Standards to Meet New Threats''; ``Health Care Fraud: All Public and 
Private Payers Need Federal Criminal Anti-Fraud Protections''; 
``Investigation into the Activities of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies 
Toward the Branch Davidians''; and ``Two Year Review of the White House 
Communications Agency Reveals Major Mismanagement, Lack of 
Accountability and Mission Creep''.

SYRIA AND SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Syria: Peace 
Partner or Rogue Regime? Testimony was heard from Philip Wilcox, 
Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.

ALBANIA--HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY

Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights held a hearing on Human Rights and 
Democracy in Albania. Testimony was heard from Rudolf V. Perina, Senior 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.

OVERSIGHT

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held an oversight hearing to review whether Congress 
should adopt legislation that would exempt from local taxation wireless 
service providers who transmit satellite-delivered video programming. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution approved 
for full Committee action H.R. 3874, Civil Rights Commission Act of 
1996.

LABORER'S INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime concluded hearings on 
the Administration's efforts against the influence of organized crime 
in the Laborer's International Union of North America. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Justice: James 
Burns, U.S. Attorney, Northern District, Illinois; John C. Keeney, 
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division; Paul E. Coffey, 
Organized Crime and Racketeering, Section; Michel Ross, Supervisory 
Special Agent, FBI; Abner J. Mikva, former Counsel, The White House; 
and public witnesses.

OVERSIGHT--OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF MORATORIA

Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held an oversight hearing on Outer Continental Shelf moratoria. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Goss, Seastrand, Riggs, 
Woolsey, Pallone, Eshoo, and Pelosi; and Cynthia L. Quarterman, 
Director, Minerals Management Service, Department of the Interior.

OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans 
held an oversight hearing on National Wildlife Refuge System. Testimony 
was heard from Robert Streeter, Assistant Director, Refuges and 
Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES

Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and 
Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3099, Washita 
Battlefield Nation Historic Site Act of 1996; H.R. 3819, to amend the 
Act establishing the National Park Foundation; H.R. 3486, to dispose of 
certain Federal properties at Dutch John, Utah, and to assist local 
government in the interim delivery of basic services to the Dutch John 
community; H.R. 3769, to provide for the conditional transfer of the 
Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands, the Coos Bay Military Wagon 
Road Lands, and related public domain lands to the State of Oregon; and 
H.R. 3497, Snoqualmie National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 1996. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Bunn of Oregon, Dunn, Lucas, 
and Orton; the following officials of the Department of the Interior: 
Katherine

[[Page D816]]

Stevenson, Associate Director, Cultural Resource Stewardship and 
Partnerships, National Park Service; Nancy Hayes, Chief of Staff and 
Counselor, Bureau of Land Management; and Steve Richardson, Director, 
Policy and External, Bureau of Reclamation; Eleanor Towns, Director, 
Lands, Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses.

OVERSIGHT

Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources held 
an oversight hearing on deferred maintenance and energy reliability 
issues at facilities generating power marketed by the Southeastern 
Power Administration. Testimony was heard from Representatives Franks 
of New Jersey and Meehan; Victor S. Rezendes, Director, Energy, 
Resources and Science Issues, GAO; Charles Borchardt, Administrator, 
Southeastern Power Administration, Department of Energy; Daniel R. 
Burns, Chief of Operations, Construction and Readiness Division, Corps 
of Engineers, Department of the Army; and public witnesses.

INTERNATIONAL DOLPHIN CONSERVATION PROGRAM ACT

Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 2823, International Dolphin 
Conservation Program Act.

  In lieu of the Committee on Resources amendment, the rule provides 
for one amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the 
Congressional Record and numbered 1 to be considered as an original 
bill for the purpose of amendment. The amendment numbered 1 shall be 
considered as read.

  The rule also provides for an amendment to be offered by 
Representative Miller of California or his designee, which 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. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with 
or without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Young and 
Representatives Saxton, Gilchrest, and Miller of California.

OVERSIGHT--EFFECTIVENESS OF U.S. EXPORT ASSISTANCE CENTERS

Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Procurement, Exports, and 
Business Opportunities held an oversight hearing on the Effectiveness 
of U.S. Export Assistance Centers. Testimony was heard from JayEtta 
Hecker, Director, International Trade, Finance and Competitiveness 
Division, GAO; the following officials of the Department of Commerce: 
Johnnie Frazier, Assistant Inspector General, Inspections and Program 
Evaluations; and Lauri-Fitz-Pegado, Assistant Secretary and Director 
General, U.S. Commercial Service; James P. Morris, Director, Regional 
Office, Export-Import Bank of the United States; and Mary N. Joyce, 
International Trade Specialist, SBA.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.

ISTEA REAUTHORIZATION

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Surface 
Transportation continued hearings on ISTEA Reauthorization Maintaining 
Adequate Infrastructure: The Surface Transportation Program. Testimony 
was heard from Representative Visclosky; William G. Burnett, Executive 
Director, Department of Transportation, State of Texas; Brian Rude, 
Senator, State of Wisconsin; and public witnesses.

  Hearings continue July 30.

SOCIAL SECURITY MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS ACT; SSA AS AN INDEPENDENT 
AGENCY

Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security approved 
for full Committee action the Social Security Miscellaneous Amendments 
Act of 1996.

  The Subcommittee also held a hearing to Review the Performance of the 
Social Security Administration as an Independent Agency. Testimony was 
heard from Rogello Garcia, Specialist in American National Government, 
Government Management and Operations Section, Government Division, 
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Charles A. 
Bowsher, Comptroller General, GAO; and Shirley Sears Chater, 
Commissioner, SSA.

U.S. TRADE COMPETITIVENESS AND WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
U.S. Trade Competitiveness and Workforce Education and Training. 
Testimony was heard from Robert R. Reich, Secretary of Labor; David 
Longanecker, Assistant Secretary, Post-Secondary Education, Department 
of Education; and public witnesses.


Joint Meetings

BUDGET RECONCILIATION

Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 3734, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to 
section 201(a)(1) of the concurrent resolution on the budget

[[Page D817]]

for fiscal year 1997, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed 
subject to call.