[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 7, 1997)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D440-D442] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) APPROPRIATIONS--DEFENSE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 1998 for the Department of Defense, focusing on working capital funds and depot operations, receiving testimony from Henry L. Hinton, Assistant Comptroller General for National Security and International Affairs Issues, Jack Brock, Issue Area Director for Defense Information and Financial Management Systems, Accounting and Information Management Division, and Julia Denman, Assistant Director for Defense Management Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, all of the General Accounting Office; Gen. Johnnie E. Wilson, Commander, Army Materiel Command; Vice Adm. Donald L. Pilling, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Resources, Warfare Requirements and Assessments); Gen. Henry Viccellio, Jr., Commander, United States Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command. Subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, May 13. CANCER RESEARCH Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held hearings to examine the need for increased funding [[Page D441]] for cancer research, receiving testimony from Senators Mack and Feinstein, both on behalf of the Senate Cancer Coalition; Richard D. Klausner, Director, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Sherry Lansing, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Helene G. Brown, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Keith L. Black, UCLA Medical Center, all of Los Angeles, California; Sam Donaldson, ABC News, and Ellen Sigal, Sigal Environmental, on behalf of the Friends of Cancer Research, both of Washington, D.C.; Amy S. Langer, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, New York, New York; Donald S. Coffey, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, on behalf of the American Association for Cancer Research, Inc.; Arnold Palmer, Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Youngstown, Pennsylvania; Charles A. Coltman, San Antonio Cancer Institute, San Antonio, Texas, on behalf of the Cancer Therapy and Research Foundation of South Texas; and Toni Shaheen, Monmouth Beach, New Jersey. Subcommittee recessed subject to call. TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation and Related Agencies held hearings to examine issues with regard to the financing of certain Federal transportation programs, focusing on Federal Aviation Administration user fees, the Administration's financing proposals to leverage Federal investment in transportation infrastructure, and the current financial condition of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), receiving testimony from Mortimer L. Downey, Deputy Secretary, and Jolene Molitoris, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; Thomas M. Downs, President and Chairman, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); and John Anderson, Director, and Phyllis Scheinberg, Associate Director, both of the Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division, General Accounting Office. Subcommittee recessed subject to call. NSF AND TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION BUDGETS Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space concluded hearings to review certain budgetary matters with regard to the National Science Foundation and the Technology Administration of the Department of Commerce, after receiving testimony from Neal F. Lane, Director, National Science Foundation; Richard N. Zare, Chairman, National Science Board; and Mary L. Good, Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology. AUTHORIZATION--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure concluded hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for programs of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, focusing on transportation safety issues, including related measures S. 284 and S. 412, after receiving testimony from Senators Lugar and DeWine; Representative Lowey; Philip R. Recht, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Anthony R. Kane, Executive Director, Federal Highway Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; Mayor Bob Bartlett, Monrovia, California, on behalf of the Southern California Association of Governments; Richard D. Crabtree, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, and Joan B. Claybrook, Public Citizen, Washington, D.C., both on behalf of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety; Katherine P. Prescott, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Irving, Texas; Thomas J. Donohue, American Trucking Associations, Inc., James L. Kolstad, American Automobile Association, Barbara Harsha, National Association of Governors' Highway and Safety Representatives, and Robert A. Georgine, Building and Construction Trades Department, and Edward Wytkind, Transportation Trades Department, both of the AFL- CIO, all of Washington, D.C.; and Brenda Berry, CRASH, Woodbridge, Virginia. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on European Affairs held hearings to examine the Administration's proposed budget request for fiscal year 1998 for assistance to Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union, receiving testimony from Richard L. Morningstar, Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Assistance to the New Independent States, and James H. Holmes, Coordinator for East European Assistance, both of the Department of State; and Thomas A. Dine, Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Europe and the New Independent States, Agency for International Development. Hearings were recessed subject to call. GOVERNMENT SECRECY Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee held hearings to review the recommendations of the final report of the Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy, and S. 712, to define the [[Page D442]] principles and standards to govern classification and declassification, and establish within an existing agency a National Declassification Center to coordinate responsibility for declassifying historical documents, receiving testimony from Senators Moynihan and Helms; Representatives Combest and Hamilton; Lawrence S. Eagleburger, former Secretary of State; Alden V. Munson, Jr., Litton Industries, Inc., Woodland Hills, California; and David Wise, Washington, D.C. Hearings were recessed subject to call. NOMINATIONS Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of Eric L. Clay, of Michigan, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, Arthur Gajarsa, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit, Alan S. Gold, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, and Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. Mr. Gajarsa was introduced by Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski, Mr. Gold was introduced by Senators Mack and Graham, and Mr. Thrash was introduced by Senators Coverdell and Cleland. OMNIBUS PATENT ACT Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on S. 507 and H.R. 400, bills to streamline operations in the Patent and Trademark Office of the Department of Commerce and to provide efficient and effective protection of patents and trademarks, after receiving testimony from Senator Lautenberg; Representatives Hyde and Rohrabacher; Bruce A. Lehman, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks; Michael K. Kirk, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Arlington, Virginia; Eric J. Ruff, PowerQuest Corporation; Orem, Utah; William P. Parker, Vermont Inventors Association, Burlington; and Kim Muller, International Trademark Association, New York, New York. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items: S. 717, to amend and authorize funds for programs of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and The nominations of Marsha Mason, of New Mexico, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts, and Susan E. Trees, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities, both of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, Anthony R. Sarmiento, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board, Hans M. Mark, of Texas, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, and Gerald N. Tirozzi, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, and Donald Rappaport, of the District of Columbia, to be Chief Financial Officer, both of the Department of Education. SBA FINANCE PROGRAMS Committee on Small Business: Committee held oversight hearings on the management of Small Business Administration finance programs, focusing on the 504 Development Company Loan Program and the Small Business Investment Company Program, receiving testimony from Mark Barbash, Columbus Countywide Development Corporation, Columbus, Ohio, on behalf of the National Association of Development Companies; Steve M. Dusek, Prairieland Economic Development Corporation, Slayton, Minnesota; C. Walter Dick, Pioneer Capital Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, on behalf of the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies; N. Whitney Johns, Whitney Johns & Company, Nashville, Tennessee; and Stanley W. Tucker, MMG Ventures, Baltimore, Maryland, on behalf of the National Association of Investment Companies. Hearings continue on Thursday, May 15. NOMINATION Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee continued hearings, in closed session, on the nomination of George John Tenet, of Maryland, to be Director of Central Intelligence, where the nominee further testified and answered questions in his own behalf. Closed hearings continue on Tuesday, May 13.