[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D851-D854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL SOYBEAN CHECK-OFF PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities held 
a hearing to review the National Soybean Check-Off Program. Testimony 
was heard from Lon Hatamiya, Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 
Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
REVISED SECTION 602(b) SUBDIVISION
Committee on Appropriations: Approved a revised 602(b) Subdivision for 
fiscal year 1997.
OVERSIGHT--FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital 
Markets, Securities and Government Sponsored Enterprises continued 
oversight hearings regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Testimony was 
heard from Aida Alvarez, Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise 
Oversight, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
50 STATES COMMEMORATIVE COIN PROGRAM ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy approved for full Committee action 
amended H.R. 3793, 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on this 
legislation. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Hazardous 
Materials approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 3391, to 
amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require at least 85 percent of 
funds appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency from the 
Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to be distributed to States 
for cooperative agreements for undertaking corrective action and for 
enforcement of subtitle I of such Act.
FDA INTEGRITY ISSUES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on FDA Integrity Issues Raised by the Visx, Inc. 
Document Disclosure. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on the 
District of Columbia held a hearing on H.R. 3244, District of Columbia 
Economic Recovery Act. Testimony was heard from Senator Lieberman; 
Speaker Gingrich; Thomas Ripy, Legislative Attorney, American Law 
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Agreed to the introduction of resolutions 
regarding the Office of Compliance Regulations.
  The Committee approved the following committee resolutions: 
regulations regarding official internet web sites; and regulations 
regarding Electronic Communications Security.
  The Committee also received the results of the 1995 House Audit and 
considered other pending Committee business.
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY REVIEW
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Review of U.S. 
Foreign Policy. Testimony was heard from Warren Christopher, Secretary 
of State.
REGULATORY FAIR WARNING ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Continued mark up of H.R. 3307, Regulatory 
Fair Warning Act.
  Will continue tomorrow.
CONFERENCE REPORT--PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 6 to 3, a rule waiving all 
points of order against the conference report on H.R. 3734, Personal 
Responsibility Act, and against its consideration. The rule provides 
that the conference report shall be considered as read. The yeas and 
nays are ordered on the adoption of the conference report and on any 
subsequent report or motion to dispose of an amendment between the 
Houses. The rule provides that the provisions of clause 5(c) of rule 
XXI (requiring a three-fifths vote on any tax rate increase) shall not 
apply to the bill, amendments thereto, or conference reports thereon. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Kasich and Representatives Shaw, 
Sabo, Stenholm, Woolsey, Neal, Tanner, Becerra, and Mink.
CONFERENCE REPORT--NATIONAL DEFENSE
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report on H.R. 3230, National Defense 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1997, and against its consideration. The 
rule provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Spence.
CONFERENCE REPORT--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference on H.R. 3517, making appropriations for 
military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure 
for the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 1997, and against its 
consideration. The rule provides that the conference report shall be 
considered as read. Testimony was heard from Representatives Vucanovich 
and Hefner.
CONFERENCE REPORT--AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report on H.R. 3603, making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year 1997, 
and against its consideration. The rule provides that the conference 
report shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Skeen.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EMPOWERMENT ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 123, English Language Empowerment 
Act of 1996. The rule waives points of order against consideration of 
the bill for failure to comply with clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI (three 
day availability of committee reports).
  The rule makes in order an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of H.R.

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3898 for further amendment purposes. The rule waives points of order 
against the amendment in the nature of a substitute for failure to 
comply with clause 7 of rule XVI (relating to germaneness).
  The rule provides for the consideration of the amendments printed in 
the report of the Committee on Rules only in the order specified; if 
offered by the Member designated in the report; debatable for the time 
specified in the report, equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent; and which shall not be subject to amendment 
or a division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the 
Whole. The rule waives all points of order against the amendment 
printed in the report.
  The rule authorizes the Chair to postpone and cluster votes on 
amendments. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or 
without instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Cunningham, Canady, Martinez, Gene Green of Texas, Romero-Barcelo, 
Becerra, Jackson-Lee, Richardson, Serrano, Underwood, and Velazquez.
WAIVING 2/3 VOTE REQUIREMENT
Committee on Rules: Ordered reported, by voice vote, a resolution 
waiving clause 4(b) of rule XI (requiring 2/3 vote to consider a rule 
on the same day it is reported from the Committee on Rules) against a 
resolution reported by the Rules Committee before August 2, 1996. The 
resolution applies the waiver to special rules providing for 
consideration or disposition of a conference report to accompany H.R. 
3103, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION PROMOTION ACT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a 
hearing on Space Commercialization Promotion Act of 1996. Testimony was 
heard from Lionel S. Johns, Associate Director, Technology, Office of 
Science and Technology Policy; Spence M. Armstrong, Associate Director, 
Human Resources and Education, NASA; Robert Davis, Deputy Under 
Secretary, Space, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
SBA PROGRAMS TO ASSIST VETERANS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Government Programs and 
Subcommittee on Education, Training, Employment and Housing of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a joint hearing on SBA programs to 
assist veterans in readjusting to civilian life. Testimony was heard 
from Leon Bechet, Assistant Administrator, Veterans Affairs, SBA; and 
public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Public 
Buildings and Grounds approved for full Committee action the following: 
H.R. 2062, amended, to designate the Health Care Financing 
Administration building under construction at 7500 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, MD as the ``Helen Delich Bentley Building''; H.R. 3535, to 
redesignate a Federal building in Suitland, MD, as the ``W. Edwards 
Deming Federal Building''; H.R. 3576, amended, to designate the U.S. 
courthouse located at 401 South Michigan Street in South Bend, IN, as 
the ``Robert Kurtz Rodibaugh United States Courthouse''; H.R. 3710, 
amended, to designate a U.S. courthouse located in Tampa, FL, as the 
``Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse''; 18 Repair and Alteration 
Resolutions; 1 Lease Resolution; and 2 11(b) Resolutions.
REPLACING FEDERAL INCOME TAX--DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING AND ENERGY AND 
NATURAL RESOURCES
Committee on Ways and Means: Continued hearings on the impact of 
replacing the Federal Income Tax, with emphasis on domestic 
manufacturing and on energy and natural resources. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
BUDGET RECONCILIATION
Conferees on Tuesday, July 30, agreed to file a conference report on 
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 for fiscal year 1997.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Conferees on Tuesday, July 30, agreed to file a conference report on 
the differences between the Senate-and House-passed versions of H.R. 
3230, to authorize funds for fiscal year 1997 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces.
APPROPRIATIONS--AGRICULTURE
Conferees on Tuesday, July 30, agreed to file a conference report on 
the differences between the Senate-and House-passed versions of H.R. 
3603, making

[[Page D854]]

appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 1997.
APPROPRIATIONS--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 3754, making 
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1997.
APPROPRIATIONS--DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 3845, making appropriations for the government 
of the District of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole or 
in part against revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1997, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed 
subject to call.