[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D719-D721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Forestry, Resource 
Conservation, and Research held a hearing to review agricultural 
extension and education programs. Testimony was heard from Bob 
Robinson, Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education and 
Extension Service, USDA; and public witnesses.

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AGRICULTURAL, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES AND FOREIGN 
OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the following 
appropriations for fiscal year 1998: Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and the Foreign 
Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on National Security met in 
executive session and approved for full Committee action the Department 
of Defense appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Ordered reported amended 
H.R. 1370, to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
FEDERAL ROLE IN ELECTRONIC AUTHENTICATION
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on a Federal Role in 
Electronic Authentication. Testimony was heard from Dan Greenwood, 
Deputy General Counsel, Information Technology Division, State of 
Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
ELECTRICITY: PUBLIC POWER
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on Electricity: Public Power, TVA, BPA, and Competition. Testimony was 
heard from Joe Dickey, Chief Operating Officer, TVA; John S. Robertson, 
Deputy Administrator, Bonneville Power Administration, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.
WORKER PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing on H.R. 1625, 
Worker Paycheck Fairness Act. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OLDER AMERICANS ACT AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth, and Families held a hearing on the Authorization of 
the Older Americans Act. Testimony was heard from William F. Benson, 
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration 
on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY: COLOMBIA
  Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, Subcommittee on 
National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held 
a hearing on International Drug Control Policy: Colombia. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of State: 
Myles Frechette, Ambassador to Colombia; Jeffrey Davidow, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs; Jane E. Becker, Acting 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law 
Enforcement Affairs; and Jim Thessin, Deputy Legal Advisor; Robert 
Newberry, Principal Director, Drug Enforcement Affairs, Department 
of Defense; Donnie Marshall, Chief of Operations, DEA, Department of 
Justice; and Henry L. Hinton, Jr., Assistant Comptroller General, 
GAO.
FAST TRACK, NAFTA, MERCOSUR AND BEYOND
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on Fast Track, NAFTA, Mercosur 
and Beyond: Does the Road Lead to a Future Free Trade Area of the 
Americas? Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution approved 
for full Committee action H.R. 1909, Civil Rights Act of 1997.
INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FY 1998
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 9 to 1, an open rule 
providing one hour of general debate on H.R. 2107, making 
appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1998, equally divided and 
controlled by the Chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Appropriations. The rule waives section 306 of the Budget Act 
(prohibiting matters within the jurisdiction of the Budget Committee in 
a measure not reported by it) against consideration of the bill. The 
rule also waives clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized appropriations and 
legislative provisions) and clause 6 (prohibiting reappropriations in 
an appropriations bill) of Rule XXI against the bill except as follows: 
beginning with ``: Provided'' on page 46, line 25, through ``part 121'' 
on page 47, line 6 (Forest Service, timber purchaser road construction 
credits); and page 76, line 10, through line 13 (NEA). The rule makes 
in order those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report which 
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified 
in the report equally divided between a proponent and opponent, and 
shall not be subject to amendment. All points of order against the 
amendments designated in the

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Rules Committee report are waived. 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 voting time to five 
minutes on a postponed question if 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 Representatives Regula, Forbes, Young of Alaska, Tauzin, Roukema, 
Dan Schaefer of Colorado, Houghton, Morella, Ehlers, Horn, Foley, 
Weldon of Florida, Yates, Pelosi, Obey, Dingell, Lewis of Georgia, 
Slaughter, Nadler, Harman, Stupak, Farr of California, Gutierrez, and 
Jackson-Lee of Texas.
OCEAN AND COASTAL ISSUES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on Ocean and Coastal Issues. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Forbes and Romero-Barcelo; the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Michael L. Davis, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Civil Works), Department of the Army; and 
Rear Adm. Louis M. Smith, USN, Director, Facilities and Engineering 
Command, Department of the Navy; Robert H. Wayland, III, Director, 
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, EPA; Jeffrey Benoit, 
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management, NOAA, 
Department of Commerce; Alexander F. Treadwell, Secretary, Department 
of State, State of New York; Jane K. Stahl, Assistant Director, Office 
of Long Island Sound Programs, Department of Environmental Protection, 
State of Connecticut; and public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on the following bills: 
S. 923, to deny veterans benefits to persons convicted of Federal 
capital offenses; and H.R. 2040, to amend title 38, United States Code, 
to deny burial in a federally funded cemetery to persons convicted of 
certain capital crimes. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Bachus, Skelton and Knollenberg; Jerry W. Bowen, Director, National 
Cemetery System, Department of Veterans Affairs; Johnny H. Killian, 
Legislative Attorney, American Law Division, Congressional Research 
Service, Library of Congress; and a representative of veterans 
organizations.

Joint Meetings
TRADABLE EMISSIONS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
concept of tradable emissions (also known as tradable credits or 
allowances) which provide policy makers an opportunity to employ the 
power of markets to ease the burden of environmental regulations, 
focusing on the sulfur dioxide allowances trading program created by 
the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 to control acid rain, after 
receiving testimony from Peter Guerrero, Director of Environmental 
Protection Issues, General Accounting Office; Mary Nichols, Assistant 
Administrator for Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency; 
Mary Gade, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Springfield; 
Daniel Dudek, Environmental Defense Fund, and Carlton Bartels, Cantor 
Fitzgerald Environmental Brokerage Services, both of New York, New 
York; and Daniel Chartier, Wisconsin Electric Power Company, Milwaukee.
TONGASS LAND MANAGEMENT
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held 
joint oversight hearings with the House Committee on Resources to 
examine certain issues with regard to the Tongass National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan, issued by the United States Forest 
Service on May 23, 1997, receiving testimony from Robert P. Murphy, 
General Counsel, General Accounting Office; Sally Katzen, 
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget; and Phil Janik, Alaska Regional Forester, Forest 
Service, Department of Agriculture, who was accompanied by several of 
his associates.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.