[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 130 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D973-D975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the Conservation 
Reserve Program, regulations, and the implementation of the 
Conservation Title of the Federal Agriculture Improvement Reform Act of 
1996. Testimony was heard from Richard Rominger, Deputy Secretary, 
USDA.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported amended the following bills: 
H.R. 2508, Animal Drug Availability Act of 1995; and H.R. 1791, 
Medicaid Certification Act of 1995.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on the following: H.R. 3142, Uniformed Services Medicare 
Subvention Demonstration Project Act; and the Military Beneficiaries 
Medicare Reimbursement Model Project Act of 1996. Testimony was heard 
from Stephen C. Joseph, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs, 
Department of Defense; and Kathleen A. Buto, Associate Administrator, 
Policy, Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Health and 
Human Services.
PHARMACEUTICAL PRICING PRACTICES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on Perspectives on Pharmaceutical Pricing Practices. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the GAO: Sally 
Jaggar, Director, Health Services, Quality and Public Health Issues, 
Health Education and Human Services Division; John C. Hanson, Assistant 
Director, Health Financing and Public Health; and George Silberman, 
Assistant Director; and public witnesses.
FEDERALLY FUNDED YOUTH PROGRAMS
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities: Subcommittee on 
Early Childhood, Youth and Families held a hearing on Federally Funded 
Youth Programs and Local Initiatives. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Watts of Oklahoma and Payne of New Jersey; and public 
witnesses.

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IRS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information and Technology held a hearing on 
Internal Revenue Service Financial Management: Has There Been Any 
Improvement? Testimony was heard from Gene L. Dodaro, Assistant 
Comptroller General, Accounting and Information Management Division, 
GAO; the following officials of the Department of the Treasury: Steven 
O. App, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; and Anthony Musick, Chief 
Financial Officer, IRS.
PERSIAN GULF WAR SYNDROME
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources and Intergovernmental Resources continued hearings on ``The 
Status of Efforts to Identify Persian Gulf War Syndrome, Part IV''. 
Testimony was heard from Sylvia Copeland, Chief, PGW Veterans Illnesses 
Task Force, CIA; Frances Murphy, M.D., Director, Environmental Agents 
Services, Department of Veterans Affairs; Stephanie Padilla, 
Neurotoxicology Division, EPA; and public witnesses.
HEROIN: THE RE-EMERGING THREAT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on 
Heroin: The Re-Emerging Threat. Testimony was heard from Gen. Barry E. 
McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Thomas A. 
Constantine, Administrator, DEA, Department of Justice; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Oredered reported the following bills: S. 
1970, to amend the National Museum of the American Indian Act to make 
improvements in the Act; H.R. 4011, amended, Congressional Pension 
Forfeiture Act of 1996; and H.R. 3700, amended, Internet Election 
Information Act of 1996.
  The Committee also considered other pending Committee business.
BOSNIAN ELECTIONS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Bosnian 
Elections: A Postmortem. Testimony was heard from John Kornblum, 
Assistant Secretary, European and Canadian Affairs, Department of 
State; and a public witness.
U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS: NEXT STEPS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific 
held a joint hearing on U.S.-China Relations: Next Steps. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL ACCOUNTABILITY AND REFORM ACT OF 1996
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime approved for full 
Committee action H.R. 3239, Independent Counsel Accountability and 
Reform Act of 1996.
RICKY RAY HEMOPHILIA RELIEF FUND ACT OF 1995
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held 
a hearing on H.R. 1023, Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1995. 
Testimony was heard from Senator DeWine; Representative Goss, Philip R. 
Lee, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Eva M. Plaza, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil 
Division, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NUCLEAR WEAPONS ACTIVITIES
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Procurement 
held an oversight hearing on Department of Energy nuclear weapons 
activities. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Energy: Charles B. Curtis, Deputy Secretary; and Victor 
Reis, Assistant Secretary, Defense Programs; and Maj. Gen. Al Joersz, 
USA, Assistant Secretary, Military Applications, Department of Defense.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans 
concluded oversight hearings on the National Wildlife Refuge System, 
examining in some detail the operation and maintenance of the 510 units 
that comprise the System. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Brewster; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--HYDROPOWER MARKETING
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources held 
an oversight hearing on accounting practices for Federal hydropower 
marketing. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Energy: J.M. Shafer, Administrator, Western Area Power 
Administration; Michael A. Deihl, Administrator, Southwestern Power 
Administration; and Charles A. Borchardt, Administrator, Southeastern 
Power Administration; and the following officials of the Accounting and 
Information Management Division, GAO: Linda

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Calbom, Director; Greg Kutz, Assistant Director; and Thomas H. 
Armstrong, Assistant General Counsel.
EXPEDITED PROCEDURES
Committee on Rules: Ordered reported, by voice vote, a resolution 
waiving a requirement of clause 4(b) of rule XI with respect to 
consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on 
Rules. The resolution also makes it in order to consider motions to 
suspend the rules on any day during the remainder of the 2nd Session of 
the 104th Congress provided that at least one hour's advance notice is 
given on the floor and the Speaker or his designee consults with the 
Minority Leader or his designee.
AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on Technological Solutions to 
Improve Aviation Security. Testimony was heard from Brian Michael 
Jenkins, Deputy Chairman, President's Commission on Aviation Safety and 
Security; David R. Hinson, Administrator, FAA, Department of 
Transportation; Keith O. Fultz, Assistant Comptroller General, GAO; 
James Chapek, Sandia National Laboratory; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
ISTEA REAUTHORIZATION: HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Surface 
Transportation continued hearings on ISTEA reauthorization: The Highway 
Safety Programs--the Section 402, 403, and 410 Programs and other 
Traffic Safety Initiatives. Testimony was heard from Ricardo Martinez, 
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Department of Transportation; Elizabeth Baker, Chief, Traffic Safety 
Division, State Highway Administration and Highway Safety Coordinator, 
State of Maryland; and public witnesses.
  Hearing continues September 26.
WELFARE REFORM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources concluded 
hearings on implementation of the recently-enacted welfare reform law. 
Testimony was heard from David Gray Ross, Deputy Director, Office of 
Child Support Enforcement, Department of Health and Human Services; 
Leslie L. Frye, Chief, Office of Child Support, Department of Social 
Services, State of California; Marilyn Ray Smith, Associate Deputy 
Commissioner and Chief Legal Counsel, Department of Revenue, Child 
Support Enforcement Division, State of Massachusetts; and public 
witnesses.
ACCESSION OF CHINA AND TAIWAN TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
Accession of China and Taiwan to the World Trade Organization. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Solomon, Spratt, Cox of 
California, Brownback and Latham; Charlene Barshefsky, Acting U.S. 
Trade Representative; and public witnesses.
DIVERSITY/HUMAN RESOURCES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Held a hearing on 
Diversity/Human Resources. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the CIA: John M. Deutch, Director; and Nora Slatkin, 
Executive Director; the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Joan A. Dempsey, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Intelligence and 
Security; Jeremy C. Clark, Deputy Director, Defense Intelligence 
Agency; and Lt. Gen. Kenneth A. Minihan, Director, NSA; and Robert 
Bryant, Assistant Director, FBI, Department of Justice.

Joint Meetings
AUTHORIZATION--COAST GUARD
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of S. 1004, authorizing funds for the United States 
Coast Guard, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject 
to call.