[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D481-D482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
USDA--INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT PRACTICES
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing to review the 
information technology procurement practices of the USDA. Testimony was 
heard from Anne Thomson Reed, Chief Information Officer, USDA; and Joel 
Willemssen, Director, Information Resources Management Issues, GAO.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor.
FINANCIAL MODERNIZATION
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Continued hearings on 
Financial Modernization, including H.R. 10, Financial Services 
Competitiveness Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  Hearings continue May 2l.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REFORM
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
held a hearing on Financial Services Reform, focusing on Consolidation 
in the Brokerage Industry. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SAVINGS ARE VITAL TO EVERYONE'S RETIREMENT ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported amended H.R. 
1377, Savings Are Vital to Everyone's Retirement Act of 1997.
FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS--NATIONAL GUARD SUPPORT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on 
National Guard Support in the Fight Against Illegal Drugs. Testimony 
was heard from Brad Owen, Lt. Governor, State of Washington; Michael 
Bowers, Attorney General, State of Georgia; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Ordered reported S. Con. Res. 26, to 
permit the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a congressional 
ceremony honoring Mother Teresa.
  Committee adopted a motion to authorize issuance of two subpoenas to 
the Immigration and Naturalization Service in connection with the 
Contested Election in the Forty-sixth District of California.
  The Committee also considered other pending committee business.
CARIBBEAN: AN OVERVIEW
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on the Caribbean: An Overview. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of State: John 
Hamilton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Central America and the 
Caribbean; and Joseph Sullivan, Special Coordinator for Haiti; and 
public witnesses.
SECURITY AND FREEDOM THROUGH ENCRYPTION ACT; CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT--
PROHIBITING FLAG DESECRATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following measures: 
H.R. 695, amended, Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act; 
and H.J. Res. 54, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the 
United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical 
desecration of the flag of the United States.
APPREHENSION OF TAINTED MONEY ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 1494, Apprehension of Tainted 
Money Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from, Robert S. Litt, Deputy 
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; 
Lawrence M. Noble, General Counsel, FEC; and public witnesses.
JUDICIAL REFORM ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held a hearing on H.R. 1252, Judicial Reform Act of 1997. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Hyde, Bryant and Manzullo; 
Henry A. Politz, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 
Anne Williams, District Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District 
of Illinois; from the following officials of the State of California: 
Dan Lungren, Attorney General; and Richard Mountjoy, Senator; and 
public witnesses.
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 1469, 1997 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
Act for Recovery from Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping 
Efforts, Including Those in Bosnia.

[[Page D482]]

The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. 
The rule provides that the amendment printed in the rule shall be 
considered as adopted.
  The rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill for 
failure to comply with clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized or 
legislative provisions in a general appropriations bill) or clause 6 
(prohibiting reappropriations in a general appropriations bill) of Rule 
XXI, except as specified in the rule.
  The rule also waives all points of order against each amendment 
printed in the Rules Committee report which may only 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 5 minutes on a postponed question provided that the 
vote follows a 15 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.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY POSTURE
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on Department of Energy Posture. 
Testimony was heard from Federico Pena, Secretary of Energy.
COMMERCIAL VESSEL SAFETY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Commercial Vessel 
Safety. Testimony was heard from Rear Adm. Robert C. North, USCG, 
Assistant Commandant, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, U.S. 
Coast Guard, Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION'S COMPENSATION AND PENSION SERVICE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits held a hearing 
on operations within the VA's Compensation and Pension Service using 
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) principles, to review the 
adequacy of VA's efforts in the processing of Persian Gulf War claims 
for compensation, and to discuss legislation to limit the liability for 
compensating and treating veterans with smoking-related diseases. 
Testimony was heard from Kristine Moffitt, Director, Compensation and 
Pension Service, Department of Veterans Affairs; Stephen Backhus, 
Director, Veterans' Affairs and Military Health Care Issues, GAO; and 
representatives of veterans organizations.