[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 29, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D402-D404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on the Reauthorization 
of the Export-Import Bank. Testimony was heard from Rita Rodriquez, 
Acting Chairman and President, Export-Import Bank; Meg Lundsager, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Trade and Investment Policy, Department of 
the Treasury; Benjamin F. Nelson, Director, International Relations and 
Trade Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on H.R. 1270, Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997. Testimony was heard 
from Senators Bryan, Reid and Grams; Representatives Ensign, Gibbons 
and Gutknecht; Lake Barrett, Acting Director, Office of Civilian 
Radioactive Waste Management, Department of Energy; the following 
officials of the NRC; Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman; and Ed McGaffigan, 
Commissioner; Jared L. Cohon, Chairman, Nuclear Waste Technical Review 
Board; Warren D. Arthur, IV, Commissioner, Public Service Commission, 
State of South Carolina; Don L. Keskey, Assistant Attorney General in 
Charge, Public Service Division, State of Michigan; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D403]]


ADMINISTRATION'S NATIONAL TESTING PROPOSAL
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth and Families held a hearing on the Administration's 
National Testing Proposal. Testimony was heard from Richard W. Riley, 
Secretary of Education.
DC RETIREMENT SYSTEM
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service held a hearing on DC Retirement System: Coping with Unfunded 
Liabilities. Testimony was heard from G. Edward DeSeve, Comptroller, 
OMB; James L. Blum, Deputy Director, CBO; the following officials of 
the District of Columbia: Anthony Williams, Chief Financial Officer; 
and Betty Ann Kane, Retirement Board; and public witnesses.
PROMOTION OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR CENSUS 2000
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on 
``Promotion Outreach Efforts for Census 2000''. Testimony was heard 
from Michael Morgan, Commissioner, Department of City Development, 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Leon Meyer, Director, City Planning, 
Cincinnati, Ohio.
JUVENILE CRIME CONTROL ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported amended H.R. 3, Juvenile 
Crime Control Act of 1997.
OVERSIGHT--FOREST HEALTH, ECOLOGY, AND MANAGEMENT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on Forest Health, Ecology, and Management. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held an oversight hearing on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National 
Monument. Testimony was heard from Senators Bennett and Hatch; Kathleen 
McGinty, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality; Bruce Babbitt, 
Secretary of the Interior; Michael O. Leavitt, Governor, State of Utah; 
and public witnesses.
THE ADOPTION PROMOTION ACT OF 1997
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule on H.R. 867, 
to promote the adoption of children in foster care, providing one hour 
of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule 
waives points of order against consideration of the bill for failure to 
comply with clause 2(1)(6) of rule XI (3 day availability of committee 
reports), and sections 303(a) and 308(a) of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974 (prohibiting consideration of budgetary legislation prior 
to the adoption of the budget resolution and requiring a CBO cost 
estimate in the committee report on legislation containing new budget 
authority, new spending authority, new credit authority, or a change in 
revenues, respectively). The rule makes in order the Committee on Ways 
and Means amendment in the nature of a substitute as an original bill 
for amendment purposes, modified as specified in the report of the 
Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution. The rule provides that 
each section of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, 
as modified, shall be considered as read. Points of order are waived 
against the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute for 
failure to comply with clause 7 of rule XVI (germaneness) and sections 
303(a) and 306 (prohibits consideration of legislation with Budget 
Committee's jurisdiction unless reported by the Budget Committee) of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. The rule authorizes the Chair to 
accord priority in recognition to Members who have preprinted their 
amendments in the Congressional Record. Finally, the rule provides one 
motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Testimony was heard 
from Chairman Archer, Representatives Shaw, Camp, Tiahrt, and Maloney 
of New York.
HOUSING OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1997
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule on H.R. 2, to 
repeal the United States Housing Act of 1937, deregulate the public 
housing program and the program for rental housing assistance for low-
income families, and increase community control over such programs, 
providing one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Banking 
and Financial Services. The rule waives points of order against 
consideration of the bill for failure to comply with clause 2(1)(6) of 
rule XI (3 day availability of committee reports) or clause 7(b) of 
rule XIII (relating to cost estimate availability in the report). The 
rule makes in order the Banking and Financial Services Committee 
amendment in the nature of a substitute as an original bill for 
amendment purposes and provides that the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute be considered by title. The rule waives points 
of order against the Committee amendment in the nature of

[[Page D404]]

a substitute for failure to comply with clause 5(a) of rule XXI 
(relating to appropriations in a legislative bill). Before the 
consideration of any other amendment, the rule provides that it shall 
be in order to consider the amendment printed in the Congressional 
Record of April 29, 1997, if offered by Representative Lazio of New 
York or his designee. The rule provides that the amendment shall be 
considered as read, shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided 
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject 
to amendment, shall not be subject to a demand for a division of the 
question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole and all points 
of order against the amendment are waived. The rule provides that if 
the amendment is adopted, the bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
an original bill for the purpose of further amendment. The rule 
provides that Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the 
Congressional Record prior to their consideration will be given 
priority recognition to offer their amendments if otherwise consistent 
with House rules, and provides that pre-printed amendments will be 
considered as read. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of 
the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to 
reduce to five minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 
fifteen minute vote. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, 
with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Leach, 
Representatives Lazio, Gonzalez, and Kennedy of Massachusetts.
WETLANDS--RECENT REGULATORY AND JUDICIAL DEVELOPMENTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on Wetlands--recent regulatory 
and judicial developments. Testimony was heard from Michael L. Davis, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Civil Works), Department of the Army; 
Robert H. Wayland, III, Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and 
Watersheds, EPA; and public witnesses.
COORDINATED CARE OPTIONS FOR SENIORS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Coordinated Care Options for Seniors. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
EXPANDING U.S. TRADE WITH SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
Expanding U.S. Trade with Sub-Saharan Africa. Testimony was heard from 
Speaker Gingrich; Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. Trade Representative; 
Lawrence H. Summers, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Treasury; and 
public witnesses.