[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 86 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D639-D640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

 Committee Meetings
 (Committees not listed did not meet)
 APPROPRIATIONS--FOREIGN ASSISTANCE/SUBCOMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS
 Committee on Appropriations:  Committee completed its review of 
subcommittee allocations of budget outlays and new budget authority 
allocated to the committee in H. Con. Res. 84, establishing the 
congressional budget for the United States Government for the fiscal 
year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal 
years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
 CANCER RESEARCH/PHYSICIAN PRACTICE EXPENSE
 Committee on Appropriations:  Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, concluded hearings to examine cancer research priorities and 
the Health Care Financing Administration's proposed plans for 
implementing the practice expense relative value requirements which 
Congress mandated for physician services under the Medicare fee 
schedule, after receiving testimony from Kathleen A. Buto, Associate 
Administrator for Policy, Health Care Financing Administration, and 
Richard D. Klausner, Director, National Cancer Institute, National 
Institutes of Health, both of the Department of Health and Human 
Services; John C. Bailar, III, University of Chicago, Chicago, 
Illinois; Christine Goertz, American Chiropractic Association, 
Arlington, Virginia; Jay H. Kleiman, American College of Cardiology, 
Bethesda, Maryland, on behalf of the Practice Expense Coalition; Alan 
R. Nelson, American Society of Internal Medicine, Washington, D.C.; and 
Donald H. Smith, American Society of General Surgeons, Glenview, 
Illinois.
 APPROPRIATIONS--IRS
 Committee on Appropriations:  Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal 
Service, and General Government concluded hearings on proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 1998 for the Internal Revenue Service, 
Department of the Treasury, after receiving testimony from Senator 
Kerrey, Cochairman, National Commission on Restructuring the Internal 
Revenue Service; James R. White, Associate Director for Tax Policy and 
Administration Issues, General Accounting Office; and Michael P. Dolan, 
Acting Commissioner, David A. Mader, Chief, Management and 
Administration, Arthur A. Gross, Chief Information Officer, and James 
E. Donelson, Chief, Taxpayer Service, each of the Internal Revenue 
Service, and Lawrence H. Summers, Deputy Secretary, all of the 
Department of the Treasury.
 BUSINESS MEETING
 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:  Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
   S. 909, to encourage and facilitate the creation of secure public 
networks for communication, commerce, education, medicine, and 
government, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
   S. 661, to provide for an administrative process for obtaining a 
waiver of the coastwise trade laws for certain vessels;
   S. 662, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue a 
certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for 
employment in the coastwise trade for the vessel  Vortice,  with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
   S. 880, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue a 
certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for 
employment in the coastwise trade for the vessel  Dusken IV,  with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
   S. 910, to authorize funds for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for 
programs of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act;
   S. 927, authorizing funds for fiscal years 1998 through 2002 for the 
National Sea Grant College Program to maintain coastal and marine 
resources;
   H. Con. Res. 8, expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 
significance of maintaining the health and stability of coral reef 
ecosystems, with an amendment; and
   Two Coast Guard nomination lists.
 US-JAPAN AVIATION RELATIONS
 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:  Subcommittee on 
Aviation held hearings to examine United States international aviation 
goals and strategies, focusing on the United States-Japan aviation

[[Page D640]]

market, receiving testimony from Charles A. Hunnicutt, Assistant 
Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs; 
former Virginia Governor Gerald L. Baliles, Richmond, on behalf of 
ACCESS U.S.-Japan; Frederick W. Smith, Federal Express Corporation, 
Memphis, Tennessee; Gerald Greenwald, United Airlines, Chicago, 
Illinois; Clyde Prestowitz, Economic Strategy Institute, Washington, 
D.C.; and John H. Dasburg, Northwest Airlines, Inc., St. Paul, 
Minnesota.
   Hearings were recessed subject to call.
 NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM USER FEES
 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:  Subcommittee on National 
Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation concluded oversight 
hearings to review procedures to collect entrance and special use fees 
for units of the National Park System and the status of the Fee 
Demonstration program implemented by the National Park Service in 1996, 
after receiving testimony from Denis P. Galvin, Acting Director, 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Philip H. Voorhees, 
National Parks and Conservation Association, Washington, D.C.; Stefan 
J. Jackson, National Outdoor Leadership School, Lander, Wyoming; 
Richard R. Hoffman, American Whitewater, Silver Spring, Maryland; and 
Barry S. Tindall, National Recreation and Park Association, Arlington, 
Virginia.
 RECONCILIATION
 Committee on Finance:  Committee continued in evening session to 
consider recommendations which it will make to the Committee on the 
Budget with respect to spending reductions and revenue increases with 
regard to tax 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.
 GLOBAL CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS
 Committee on Foreign Relations:  Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy, Export and Trade Promotion concluded hearings to 
examine global climate change issues, including S. Res. 98, expressing 
the sense of the Senate regarding the conditions for the United States 
becoming a signatory to any international agreement on greenhouse gas 
emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change of 1992, and the United States negotiating position during the 
multi-national conference to be held in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, 
after receiving testimony from Senator Byrd; Representative Dingell; 
Timothy E. Wirth, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs; Richard 
L. Trumka, AFL/CIO, Washington, D.C.; Bryce Neidig, Madison, Nebraska, 
Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, on behalf of the American Farm Bureau 
Federation; and Kevin Fay, International Climate Change Partnership, 
Arlington, Virginia. ca