[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D678-D680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
U.S. AND ASIA--PROSPECTS OF LIVESTOCK, DAIRY, AND POULTRY TRADE
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review the current status and future prospects of 
livestock, dairy, and poultry trade between the United States and Asia. 
Testimony was heard from James V. Parker, Deputy Administrator, 
Commodity and Marketing Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA; 
and public witnesses.
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
approved for full Committee action the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations for 
fiscal year 1998.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs approved for full Committee action the 
Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs 
appropriations for fiscal year 1998,
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies approved for full Committee action the VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies appropriations for fiscal year 1998.

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EIZENSTAT REPORT--U.S. AND ALLIED EFFORTS TO RESTORE ASSETS LOOTED BY 
NAZIS
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the 
Eizenstat Report and related issues concerning U.S. and Allied efforts 
to restore gold and other assets looted by Nazis in World War II. 
Testimony was heard from Senator D'Amato; Stuart Eizenstat, Under 
Secretary, Economic, Business, and Agriculture, Department of State; 
Neil Levin, Chairman, Commission on the Recovery of Holocaust Victims' 
Assets, State of New York; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 629, 
Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Consent Act; H.R. 
1276, amended, Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration 
Authorization Act of 1997; and H.R. 2018, amended, to waive temporarily 
the Medicaid enrollment composition rule for the Better Health Plan of 
Amherst, New York.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported amended the 
following measures: H.R. 1853, Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied 
Technology Act Amendments of 1997 Act, and H. Res. 139, expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Education, 
States, and local education agencies should spend a greater percentage 
of Federal education tax dollars in our children's classrooms.
COUNTERDRUG TECHNOLOGY COORDINATION
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on 
Effectiveness of Counterdrug Technology Coordination at the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Testimony was heard from Albert 
E. Brandenstein, Chief Scientist., Counterdrug Technology Assessment 
Center, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Ray Mintz, Director, 
Applied Technology Division, U.S. Customs Service, Department of the 
Treasury; Lennard Wolfson, Director, Demand Reduction Systems, DOD Drug 
Enforcement Policy and Support, Office of the Secretary, Department of 
Defense; and David Cooper, Associate Director, National Security and 
International Affairs Division, GAO.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; U.S. POLICY TOWARD LEBANON
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported amended H.R. 
1432, African Growth and Opportunity Act.
  The Committee also favorably considered and adopted a motion urging 
the Chairman to request that the following measures be considered on 
the Suspension Calendar: H. Con. Res. 88, congratulating the Government 
and the people of the Republic of El Salvador on successfully 
completing free and democratic elections on March 16, 1997; H. Con. 
Res. 81, amended, calling for a United States initiative seeking a just 
and peaceful resolution of the situation on Cyprus; H.R. 2035, amended, 
to authorize the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign 
countries; H. Con. Res. 99, expressing concern over recent events in 
the Republic of Sierra Leone in the wake of the recent military coup 
d'etat of that country's first democratically elected President; H. 
Res. 175, expressing concern over the outbreak of violence in the 
Republic of Congo and the resulting threat to scheduled elections and 
constitutional government in that country; and H. Con. Res. 105, 
expressing the sense of the Congress relating to the elections in 
Albania scheduled for June 29, 1997.
  The Committee also held a hearing on United States Policy Toward 
Lebanon. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of State: David Welch, Acting Assistant Secretary, Near 
Eastern Affairs; and Kenneth McKune, Deputy Coordinator, Regional 
Policy Affairs; and public witnesses.
CENTRAL AMERICA--REVIEW ISSUES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere approved for full Committee action H. Con. Res. 88, 
congratulating the Government and the people of the Republic of El 
Salvador on successfully completing free and democratic elections on 
March 16, l997.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing to review issues in Central 
America. Testimony was heard from John Hamilton, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Central America and the Caribbean, Department of State; Mark 
Schneider, Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Latin America and the 
Caribbean, AID, U.S International Development Cooperation Agency; and 
public witnesses.
PROVIDE RIGHTS--VICTIM OF CRIMES
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on proposals to provide 
rights to Victims of Crime, including the following measures: H.J. Res. 
71, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
protect the rights of crime victims; and H.R.

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1322, Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment Implementation Act of 
1997. Testimony was heard from Representative Pryce of Ohio; Janet 
Reno, The Attorney General; George Kazen, Chief Judge, U.S. District 
Court, Southern District of Texas; William Terrell Hodges, Judge, U.S. 
District Court, Middle District of Florida, both on behalf of the 
Judicial Conference of the United States; Joseph Weisberger, Chief 
Justice, Supreme Court, State of Rhode Island, on behalf of the 
Conference of Chief Justices; and public witnesses.
BANKRUPTCY AMENDMENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law approved for full Committee action as amended H.R. 
764, Bankruptcy Amendments of 1997.
CITIZENSHIP REFORM ACT; VOTER ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 7, Citizenship Reform Act of 
1997; and H.R. 1428, Voter Eligibility Verification Act. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Bilbray and Horn; the following officials of 
the Department of Justice: Dawn Johnson, Acting Assistant Attorney 
General, Office of Legal Counsel; and David Ogden, Associate Deputy 
Attorney General; Sandy Crank, Associate Commissioner, Policy and 
Planning, SSA; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following measures: S.J. 
Res. 29, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to design and 
construct a permanent addition to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt 
Memorial in Washington, D.C.; H.R. 765, Shackleford Banks Wild Horses 
Protection Act; H.R. 822, amended, to facilitate a land exchange 
involving private land within the exterior boundaries of Wenatchee 
National Forest in Chelan County, Wa.; H.R. 901, amended, American Land 
Sovereignty Protection Act; H.R. 951, to require the Secretary of the 
Interior to exchange certain lands located in Hinsdale, Colorado; H.R. 
960, amended, to validate certain conveyances in the city of Tulare, 
Tulare County, California; H.R. 1127, amended, National Monument 
Fairness Act of 1997; H.R. 1198, amended, to direct the Secretary of 
the Interior to convey land to the City of Grants Pass, Oregon; and 
H.R. 1658, amended, Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act Amendments 
of 1997.
ADJOURNMENT RESOLUTION--INDEPENDENCE DAY DISTRICT WORK PERIOD
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing for the 
consideration of a concurrent resolution providing for the adjournment 
of the House and Senate for the Independence Day district work period. 
The rule waives all points of order against the consideration of the 
resolution.
MEDIUM-SIZED COMMUNITIES--AIR SERVICE PROBLEMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on market-based solutions to air service 
problems for medium-sized communities. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Quinn, LaFalce and Slaughter; Patrick V. Murphy, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Aviation and International Affairs, Department of 
Transportation; John H. Anderson, Jr., Director, Transportation Issues, 
Resources, Community and Economic Development Division, GAO; and public 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on the Library: Committee met and approved 
Representative Bill Thomas as Chair and Senator Stevens as Vice Chair.
  Also, committee adopted their rules of procedure for the 105th 
Congress.