[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D473-D474] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings TEXAS LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL COMPACT CONSENT Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power approved for full Committee action H.R. 629, Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Consent Act. Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on this measure. Testimony was heard from Representatives Barton of Texas, Reyes, Bonilla and Green; and public witnesses. ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a joint hearing on the Endowment for the Arts. Testimony was heard from Representatives Armey, Stearns, Doolittle, Lewis of Kentucky, Houghton, Slaughter and Nadler; Jane Alexander, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts; and public witnesses. TREATMENT OF INSIDE SALES PERSONNEL AND PUBLIC SECTOR VOLUNTEERS UNDER FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing on the treatment of inside sales personnel and public sector volunteers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Testimony was heard from Representative Myrick; and public witnesses. EXPORT TRADE ADMINISTRATION--FUTURE Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on the Future of the Export Trade Administration. Testimony was heard from William Reinsch, Under Secretary, Bureau of Export Administration, Department of Commerce; Thomas E. McNamara, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State; Michael Wallerstein, Deputy Acting Secretary, Counter Proliferation Policy, International Security Policy, Department of Defense; and public witnesses. VOLUNTEER PROTECTION ACT; PRIVATE IMMIGRATION BILL Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported amended H.R. 911, Volunteer Protection Act of 1997. The Committee also considered a private immigration bill. OVERSIGHT--FBI Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held an oversight hearing on the activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Justice: Michael R. Bromwich, Inspector General; Frederic Whitehurst, Supervisory Special Agent, Donald Thompson, Acting Assistant Director and James Maddock, Deputy General Counsel, all with the FBI; and public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 231, to improve the integrity of the Social Security card and to provide for criminal penalties for fraud and related activity involving work authorization documents for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act; H.R. 429, NATO Special Immigration Amendments of 1997; H.R. 471, Illegal Alien Employment Disincentive Act of 1997; and H.R. 1493, to require the Attorney General to establish a program in local prisons to identify, prior to arraignment, criminal aliens and aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States. Testimony was heard from Representatives Pickett, Gallegly and McCollum; Paul Virtue, Acting Executive Associate Commissioner, Programs, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice; Sandy Crank, Associate Commissioner, Policy and Planning, SSA; and public witnesses. EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL ACT FOR FY 1997 Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing one hour of general debate on H.R. 1469, 1997 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Recovery from Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping Efforts, Including Those in Bosnia, equally divided and controlled by the Chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment printed in the rule and the amendment printed in Part 1 of the Rules Committee report shall be considered as adopted. The rule waives all points of order against provisions in [[Page D474]] the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized or legislative provisions in a general appropriations bill) and clause 6 (prohibiting reappropriations in a general appropriations bill) of Rule XXI, except as specified in the rule. The rule also waive all points of order against each amendment printed in Part 2 of the Rules Committee report which may be offered in the order specified, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall be offered only by the member designated in the report, and is not amendable. The rule accords priority in recognition to those Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional Record prior to their consideration. The rule also allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce the vote to five minutes on a postponed question provided that the vote follows a fifteen minute vote. The rule waives points of order against all amendments for failure to comply with clause 2(e) of rule XXI (prohibiting non-emergency designated amendments to be offered to an appropriations bill containing an emergency designation). Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Livingston, Representatives Sabo, Miller of Florida, Nethercutt, Neumann, McHugh, Ramstad, Spence, Gilman, Shuster, Goodling, Barcia, Roukema, Gekas, Smith of Oregon, Morella, Shays, Stearns, Crapo, Jackson-Lee, McKeon, Riggs, Coburn, Foley, Weldon of Florida, Obey, Kennedy of Rhode Island, Kleczka, Kaptur, Olver, Meek of Florida, Dingell, Oberstar, Cannon, Norton, Peterson of Minnesota, Condit, Harmon, Stupak, Maloney of New York, Wynn, Romero-Barcelo, Pomeroy, Jones, Minge, Strickland, Barr of Georgia, Davis of Virginia, Hilleary, and Thune. URBAN EMPOWERMENT Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Empowerment held a hearing on regulatory, tax, and licensing initiatives that empower businesses and citizens in impoverished communities. Testimony was heard from Representative Weller; and the following Mayors: Paul Helmke, Fort Wayne, Indiana and Victor Ashe, Knoxville, Tennessee; and a public witness. Hearings continue May 20. BRIEFING--CHINA Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold a briefing on China. The Committee was briefed by departmental witnesses. Joint Meetings NATO ENLARGEMENT Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): Commission resumed hearings to examine the process to enlarge the membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), receiving testimony from Ernest Petric, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United States; Mircea Dan Geoana, Ambassador of Romania to the United States; and Alexandr Vondra, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States. Commission recessed subject to call.