[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.