[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D622-D623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HOUSING REFORM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Housing Opportunity and Community Development concluded hearings on S. 
513, to reform the multifamily rental assisted housing programs of the 
Federal Government, and maintain the affordability and availability of 
low-income housing, after receiving testimony from Andrew M. Cuomo, 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. 
Thompson, Madison, on behalf of the National Governors' Association; 
James Logue III, Michigan State Housing Agency, Lansing, on behalf of 
the National Council of State Housing Builders; John Koelemij, 
Tallahassee, Florida, on behalf of the National Association of Home 
Builders; Albert A. Walsh, New York Housing Conference, New York, New 
York; James R. Grow, Oakland, California, on behalf of the National 
Housing Law Project; Mary Yeaton, Boston, Massachusetts, on behalf of 
the National Alliance of HUD Tenants; and Shekar Narasimhan, Washington 
Mortgage Financial Group, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Mortgage 
Bankers Association of America.

[[Page D623]]


RECONCILIATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee completed 
its review of certain spending reductions and revenue increases to meet 
reconciliation expenditures as imposed by H. Con. Res. 84, establishing 
the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal 
year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal 
years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, and agreed on recommendations which 
it will make thereon to the Committee on the Budget.
LIABILITY REFORM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Consumer Affairs, Foreign Commerce and Tourism concluded hearings on 
issues with regard to liability reform for charitable organizations, 
focusing on the impact of lawsuits and damage awards on the current 
liability system and proposals that provide uniform standards for the 
awarding of compensatory and punitive damages in a civil action against 
a volunteer or volunteer service organization, after receiving 
testimony from Senator Coverdell; Richard Aft, United Way Community 
Chest, Cincinnati, Ohio; Marc Mayerson, Boy Scouts of America, and 
Elliot Portnoy, Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN), both of Washington, 
D.C.; Brian Pallasch, American Subcontractors Association, Inc., 
Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of the National Coalition for Volunteer 
Protection and the American Society of Association Executives; and 
Connie Isaacs, Lake Oswego, Oregon.
RECONCILIATION
Committee on Finance: Committee met to consider recommendations which 
it will make to the Committee on the Budget with respect to spending 
reductions and revenue increases with regard to health and welfare 
provisions to meet reconciliation expenditures as imposed by H. Con. 
Res. 84, establishing the congressional budget for the United States 
Government for fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, but did not 
complete action thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following bills:
  H.R. 173, to authorize donation of surplus Federal law enforcement 
canines to their handlers; and
  S. 861, to authorize donation of Federal law enforcement canines that 
are no longer needed for official purposes to individuals with 
experience handling canines in the performance of law enforcement 
duties.
  Also, committee completed its review of certain spending reductions 
and revenue increases to meet reconciliation expenditures as imposed by 
H. Con. Res. 84, establishing the congressional budget for the United 
States Government for fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate 
budgetary levels for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, and 
agreed on recommendations which it will make thereon to the Committee 
on the Budget.
BASEBALL ANTITRUST REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held hearings on proposals to 
reform baseball antitrust regulations in an effort to minimize baseball 
labor disputes, including S. 53, to require the general application of 
the antitrust laws to major league baseball, receiving testimony from 
Donald A. Fehr, Major League Baseball Players Association, New York, 
New York; and Dan Peltier, Hastings, Minnesota.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
HUMAN CLONING
Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Subcommittee on Public Health 
and Safety concluded hearings to examine the ethical and theological 
implications of human cloning, after receiving testimony from James F. 
Childress and Abdulaziz Sachedina, both of the University of Virginia, 
Charlottesville; John M. Haas, Pope John Center for the Study of Ethics 
in Health Care, Braintree, Massachusetts; Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Harvard 
University Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, on behalf of the 
National Bioethics Advisory Committee; Edmund D. Pellegrino, Georgetown 
University, Washington, D.C.; and John A. Robertson, University of 
Texas School of Law, Austin, on behalf of the American Society for 
Reproductive Medicine.