[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 28 (Thursday, March 6, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D195-D198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and on the Farm and 
Foreign Agricultural Services. Testimony was heard from the following: 
Brooksley Born, Chairperson, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; the 
following officials of the USDA: Dallas R. Smith, Acting Under 
Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services; and Grant B. 
Buntrock, Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State 
and Judiciary held a hearing on the Bureau of Export Administration, 
Department of Commerce and on the Federal Courts; the Administrative 
Office and the Federal Judicial Center. Testimony was heard from 
William A. Reinsch, Under Secretary, Export Administration, Department 
of Commerce; the following officials of the Judicial Conference: Judge 
John Heyburn, Chairman; and Judge William Young, Co-Chairman; Leonidas 
Ralph Mecham, Director, Administrative Office, U.S. Courts; Judge Rya 
Zobel, Director, Federal Judicial Center.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on TVA and on the Appalachian Regional 
Commission. Testimony was heard from Craven Crowell, Chairman, TVA; and 
the following officials of the Appalachian Regional Commission: Kirk 
Fordice, Governor, State of Mississippi, State's Co-Chairman; and Jesse 
L. White, Jr., Federal Co-Chairman.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior continued 
appropriation hearings, with emphasis on Indian Programs. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
LABOR--HHS--EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on National Institute of 
Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, the National Center for 
Research Resources, the National Institute of Child Health and Human 
Development and the National Institute of Dental Research. Testimony 
was heard from Stephen Katz, M.D., Director, National Institute of 
Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease; Judith L. Vaitukaitis, 
M.D., Director, National Center for Research Resources; Duane 
Alexander, M.D., Director, National Institute of Child Health and

[[Page D196]]

Human Development; and Harold C. Slaukin, M.D., Director, National 
Institute of Dental Research.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction held 
a hearing on Navy Construction. Testimony was heard from Robin Tirie, 
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Installations and Environment, 
Department of the Defense.
NATIONAL SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on National Security held a 
hearing on the Fiscal Year 1998 Navy/Marine Corps Budget Overview and 
on Navy/Marine Corps Acquisition. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of the Navy: John H. Dalton, 
Secretary; Adm. Jay L. Johnson, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; Gen. 
Charles C. Krulak, USMC, Commandant, Marine Corps; John W. Douglass, 
Assistant Secretary, Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; Vice 
Adm. T. Donald L. Pilling, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operation 
(Resources, Warfare Requirements and Assessments); and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey 
W. Oster, USMC, Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Resources.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on the GAO and on the Secretary of Transportation. Testimony 
was heard from John Anderson, Director, Transportation Issues, GAO; and 
Rodney E. Slater, Secretary of Transportation.
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, 
and General Government held a hearing on the Secretary of the Treasury. 
Testimony was heard from Robert E. Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury.
VA--HUD--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
Testimony was heard from James Lee Witt, Director, FEMA.
HOUSING OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing 
and Community Development continued hearings on H.R. 2, Housing 
Opportunity and Responsibility Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from 
Andrew M. Cuomo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
  Hearings continue March 11.
ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET--CBO'S ANALYSIS
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the CBO's Analysis of the 
Administration's Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 1998. Testimony was 
heard from June E. O'Neil, Director, CBO.
SEC AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
held a hearing on the Securities and Exchange Commission Authorization 
Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Arthur Levitt, Jr., Chairman, 
SEC.
ASSISTED SUICIDE
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on Assisted Suicide: Legal, Medical, Ethical, and Social 
Issues. Testimony was heard from Bernard Cardinal Law, Archbishop of 
Boston; Rabbi A. James Rudin, Director, Interfaith Relations, American 
Jewish Committee; Rev. David L. Adams, Executive Director, Office of 
Government Information, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; Rev. Dr. 
Stanley Harakas, Greek Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of America; and 
public witnesses.
EDUCATION AT A CROSSROADS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Education at a Crossroads, What Works, 
What's Wasted. Testimony was heard from Lamar Alexander, former 
Secretary of Education; and Delaine Eastin, Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, State of California.
FEDERAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM ACQUISITION STRATEGY
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Held a hearing on Federal 
Telecommunications System Acquisition Strategy (Post-FTS 2000). 
Testimony was heard from Robert J. Woods, Commissioner, GSA; and Frank 
E. Lalley, Associate Deputy and Assistant Secretary Telecommunications, 
Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  Hearings continue March 12.
OVERSIGHT--HUD AND LABOR: MISSION MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Resources and 
Intergovernmental Relations continued Agency oversight hearings: the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development and the

[[Page D197]]

Department of Labor: Mission, Management, and Performance. Testimony 
was heard from Susan Geffney, Inspector General, Department of Housing 
and Urban Affairs; Charles C. Masten, Inspector General, Department of 
Labor; and the following officials of the GAO: Larry Dyckman, Associate 
Director, Housing and Community Development Issues; and Carlotta 
Joiner, Director, Education and Employment.
COMMITTEE FUNDING
Committee on House Oversight: Met to consider funding requests for the 
following Committees: Rules; Banking and Financial Services; Budget; 
Resources, Education and the Workforce; National Security; Commerce; 
and Government Reform and Oversight.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered and adopted 
a motion urging the Chairman to request that the following measures be 
considered on the Suspension Calendar: H. Con. Res. 16, concerning the 
urgent need to improve the living standards of those South Asians 
living in the Ganges and the Bahmaputra River Basin; H. Res. 68, 
amended, stating the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States of 
America and Japan is essential for furthering the security interests of 
the United States, Japan, and the nations of the Asia-Pacific region, 
and that the people of Okinawa deserve recognition for their 
contributions toward ensuring the treaty's implementation; and H.R. 
750, amended, to support the autonomous governance of Hong Kong after 
its reversion to the People's Republic of China.
  The Committee also ordered reported H.J.Res. 58, amended, 
disapproving the certification of the President under section 490(b) of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 regarding foreign assistance for 
Mexico during fiscal year 1997.
OVERSIGHT--CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held an oversight hearing on the Congressional 
Review Act. Testimony was heard from Robert P. Murphy, General Counsel, 
GAO; Sally Katzen, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, OMB; Jonathan Z. Cannon, General Counsel, EPA; Nancy E. 
McFadden, General Counsel, Department of Transportation; Charles W. 
Johnson, Parliamentarian, House of Representatives; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime approved for full 
Committee action the following bills: H.R. 927, United States Marshals 
Service Improvement Act of 1997; H.R. 926, Prisoner Service Opportunity 
Act of 1997; and H.R. 924, Victim Allocution Clarification Act of 1997.
DOD AUTHORIZATION
Committee on National Security: Continued hearings on the Fiscal Year 
1998 Department of Defense authorization request. Testimony was heard 
from officials of the Department of Defense: Gen. John G. Tilelli, USA, 
Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces Korea; Adm. Joseph W. Prueher, USN, 
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command; and Gen. John J. Sheehan, 
USMC, Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command.
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Research and 
Development held a hearing on ballistic missile defense. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Lt. 
Gen. Lester L. Lyles, USAF, Director Ballistic Missile Defense 
Organization; and Paul Kaminski, Under Secretary, Acquisition and 
Technology.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans, held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 511, 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and H.R. 512, 
New Wildlife Refuge Authorization Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representative John Tanner; Bruce Babbit, Secretary of the Interior; 
Bernie Richter, Assemblyman, State of California; and public witnesses.
DOE BUDGET AUTHORIZATION--ENERGY RESEARCH
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, held a 
hearing on fiscal year 1998 budget authorization request for Office of 
Energy Research, Department of Energy. Testimony was heard from Martha 
A. Krebs, Director, Energy Research, Department of Energy; and Victor 
S. Rezendes, Director, Energy, Resources and Science Issues, Resources, 
Community, and Economic Development Division, GAO.
PAPERWORK ELIMINATION ACT; ADMINISTRATION BUDGET REQUEST--SBA
Committee on Small Business: Ordered reported H.R. 852, Paperwork 
Elimination Act of 1997.

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  The Committee also held a hearing on the Administration's Budget 
request for the SBA for fiscal year 1998. Testimony was heard from Aida 
Alvarez, Administrator, SBA; and public witnesses.
ETHICS PROCESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Task Force on Ethics Reform 
met in executive session to continue hearings on the Ethics Process in 
the House. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ISTEA REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Surface 
Transportation, continued hearing on ISTEA Reauthorization: Policy 
Initiatives and Requests for Highway and Transit Projects. Testimony 
was heard from Members of Congress.
  Hearings continue March 11.
MEDICARE HMO REGULATION AND QUALITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Medicare HMO Regulation and Quality. Testimony was heard from Bruce C. 
Vladeck, Administrator, Health Care Financing Administration, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on the Future of Social Security for this Generation and the 
Next. Testimony was heard from the following members of the Advisory 
Council on Social Security: Robert M. Ball; Sylvester J. Schieber; and 
Edward M. Gramlich, Chairman.
IRAN TERRORISM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on Iran Terrorism. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS PROGRAMS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings to review the 
legislative recommendations of certain veterans organizations, after 
receiving testimony from Richard G. Fazakerley, Blinded Veterans of 
America, James M. Blaylock, Military Order of the Purple Heart of the 
USA, Kenneth C. Huber, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Robert M. 
Zweiman, Jewish War Veterans of the USA, all of Washington, D.C.; and 
Charles R. Jackson, Non Commissioned Officers Association of the USA, 
and Virginia M. Torsch, Retired Officers Association, both of 
Alexandria, Virginia.