[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 42 (Thursday, April 10, 1997)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D319-D321] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings FEDERAL AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT AND REFORM ACT IMPLEMENTATION Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Risk Management and Specialty Crops held a hearing to review the implementation of the risk management provisions in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. Testimony was heard from Brooksley Born, Chairperson, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Kenneth D. Ackerman, Acting Administrator, Risk Management Agency, USDA; and public witnesses. COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary held a hearing on the Census and Statistical Programs, Commerce Department, and on the Immigration and Border Security. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Commerce: Everett M. Ehrlich, Under Secretary, Economic Affairs, and Martha Farnsworth Riche, Director, Bureau of Census; the following officials of the Department of Justice: Doris Meissner, Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and Anthony C. Moscato, Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review; and Mary A. Ryan, Assistant Secretary, Consular Affairs, Department of State. INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on the National Park Service and on the Indian Health Service. Testimony was heard from Denis P. Galvin, Acting Deputy Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and Michael H. Trujillo, M.D., Assistant Surgeon General and Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held a hearing on Enforcement Agencies (OSHA, MSHA, ESA); Office of Inspector General, on the Bureau of Labor Statistics and on the Pension Agencies (PBGC and PWBA). Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Labor: Gregory R. Watchman, Acting Assistant Secretary, OSHA; J. Davitt McAteer, Assistant Secretary, Mine Safety and Health Administration; Bernard E. Anderson, Assistant Secretary, Emergency Standards Administration; A. Charles C. Masten, Inspector General; Patricia A. Dalton, Deputy Inspector General; F. M. Broadway, Assistant Inspector General, Investigation; John J. Getek, Assistant Inspector General, Audit; Sylvia T. Horowitz, Assistant Inspector General, Management and Counsel; Katharine G. Abraham, Commissioner, and William G. Barron, Jr., Deputy Commissioner, both with the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and Kenneth V. Dalton, Associate Commissioner, Prices and Living Conditions; Daniel J. Lacey, Associate Commissioner, Administration; Olena Berg, Assistant Secretary, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration; and James E. McMullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Budget; and John Seal, Acting Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. NATIONAL SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on National Security met in executive session to hold a hearing on the National Reconnaissance Program. Testimony was heard from Keith Hall, Director, National Reconnaissance Program, Department of Defense. VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies held a hearing on the NSF. Testimony was heard from Neal Lane, Director, NSF. COMMON CENTS STOCK PRICING ACT Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on H.R. 1053, Common Cents Stock Pricing Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Steven M.H. Wallman, Commissioner, SEC; and public witnesses. Hearings continue April 16. EPA'S PROPOSED OZONE AND PARTICULATE MATTER NAAQS REVISIONS Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a joint hearing on Review of [[Page D320]] EPA's Proposed Ozone and Particulate Matter NAAQS Revisions. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Hearings continue April 17. PROTOCOL FOR DOCUMENTS Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Approved a Document Protocol setting forth the procedures to be followed by the Committee and its Subcommittees, for obtaining, storing and releasing of documents and other materials. This Protocol shall apply only to Committee and Subcommittee investigation of political fund-raising improprieties and possible violations of law by persons or entities within the Committee's oversight jurisdiction and to documents and materials obtained during the investigation by Committee subpoena or letter request. The Protocol shall not apply to any other oversight conducted by the Committee or any Subcommittee unless specifically adopted by decision of the Chairman or by vote of the Committee. U.S. POLICY TOWARD EGYPT Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on U.S. Policy toward Egypt. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 1253, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999. OVERSIGHT--PRODUCT LIABILITY REFORM Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing regarding Product Liability Reform. Testimony was heard from Representative Campbell; Tom Miller, Attorney General, State of Iowa; and public witnesses. MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION SYSTEM Committee on National Security: Morale, Welfare and Recreation Panel held a hearing on the morale, welfare and recreation system. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Frederick F.Y. Pang, Assistant Secretary (Force Management Policy); Brig. Gen. Evan R. Gaddis, USA, Commander, U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center; Rear Adm. Larry R. Marsh, USN, Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel, Personnel Readiness and Community Support; Arthur Myers, Deputy Director, Services and Director of Resources Management and Oversight, DCS Installations and Logistics, U.S. Air Force; and Mike Tharrington, Acting Director, MWR Program, U.S. Marine Corps. MILITARY CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Installations and Facilities held a hearing on the long-term planning for military construction requirements. Testimony was heard from John Hamre, Under Secretary (Comptroller), Department of Defense. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AUTHORIZATION REQUEST Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Procurement held a hearing on the fiscal year 1998 Department of Energy authorization request and related matters. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Federico R. Pena, Secretary-Designate; Victor H. Reis, Assistant Secretary, Defense Programs; Alvin L. Alm, Assistant Secretary, Environmental Management; and Kenneth E. Baker, Acting Director, Office of Nonproliferation and National Security; Siegfried S. Hecker, Director, Los Alamos National Laboratories; C. Paul Robinson, President and Laboratories Director, Sandia National Laboratories; Bruce C. Tarter, Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and public witnesses. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AMENDMENTS Committee on Resources: Held a hearing on H.R. 478, to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to improve the ability of individuals and local, State, and Federal agencies to comply with that act in building, operating, maintaining, or repairing flood control projects, facilities, or structures. Testimony was heard from Michael L. Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Army (Civil Works) Policy and Legislation, Department of Defense; John R. Garamendi, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses. INTERNATIONAL DOLPHIN CONSERVATION Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans approved for full Committee action H.R. 408, to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to support the International Dolphin Conservation Program in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, and Public Lands approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 449, to provide for the orderly disposal of certain Federal lands in Clark County, [[Page D321]] NV, and to provide for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands in the State of Nevada. The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the following bills, H.R. 765, to ensure maintenance of wild horses in Cape Lookout National Seashore; and H.R. 136, to amend the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 to designate the Majority Stoneman Douglas Wilderness and to amend the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 to designate the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. Testimony was heard from Maureen Finnerty, Associate Director, Park Operations and Education, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses. NASA AUTHORIZATION Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics concluded hearings on fiscal year 1998 NASA Authorization: Science Programs. Testimony was heard from the following officials of NASA: Wesley T. Huntress, Jr., Associate Administrator, Office of Space Science; Arnauld E. Nicogossian, Associate Administrator, Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications; and Neal Pellis, Head, Biotechnology Program, Johnson Space Center; Eugene Shoemaker, Scientist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY FUNDING NEEDS Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology concluded hearings on funding needs for the National Institute of Standards and Technology Part 2. Testimony was heard from Allen Li, Associate Director, Energy, Resources, and Science Issues, GAO; and public witnesses. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing to examine the proposed redrafting of Section 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Testimony was heard from Steven Kelman, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, OMB; Jere Glover, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, SBA; and public witnesses. ETHICS REFORM Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Task Force on Ethics Reform met in executive session to continue discussions on Ethics Reform. SUPERFUND REAUTHORIZATION AND REFORM Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing on Superfund Reauthorization and Reform: Perspectives of Interested Parties. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the EPA: Steven A. Herman, Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance; and Timothy Fields, Jr., Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; James C. Coleman, Assistant Commissioner, Waste Site Cleanup, Department of Environmental Protection, State of Massachusetts; Douglas H. Palmer, Mayor, Trenton, New Jersey; and public witnesses. REHABILITATION AND LONG-TERM HOSPITALS PAYMENTS Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care Hospitals Payments. Testimony was heard from Representative LoBiondo; Barbara O. Wynn, Acting Director, Bureau of Policy Development, Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Joseph P. Newhouse, Chairman, Prospective Payment Assessment Commission; and public witnesses. FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security continued hearings on the Future of Social Security for this Generation and the Next. Testimony was heard from Jane L. Ross, Director, Income Security Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, GAO; David Koitz, Specialist in Social Legislation, Education and Public Welfare Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and public witnesses. BUDGET--ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTION Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold a Budget hearing--Analysis and Production. Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.