[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 97 (Thursday, July 10, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D732-D733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary approved for full Committee action the Commerce, Justice, 
State, and Judiciary appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
COMBAT COUNTERFEITING
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on General 
Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to review Treasury 
Department efforts to combat counterfeiting and its compliance with the 
international counterfeiting provisions of the Antiterrorism and 
Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Testimony was heard from John D. 
Hawke, Jr., Under Secretary, Domestic Finance, Department of the 
Treasury; and JayEtta Z. Hecker, Associate Director, International 
Relations and Trade Issues, GAO.
LITERACY: WHY CHILDREN CAN'T READ
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing on Literacy: 
Why Children Can't Read. Testimony was heard from Reid Lyon, Acting 
Chief, Learning Disabled, Cognitive Development Branch, National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Department of Health 
and Human Services; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NURSING HOMES HEALTH CARE
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources continued oversight hearings on Fraud and Abuse in Nursing 
Home Services Billed to Medicare and Medicaid, Part 2. Testimony was 
heard from Kathleen Buto, Deputy Director, Center for Health Plans and 
Providers, Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Health 
and Human Services; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1663, to clarify the intent of 
the Congress in Public Law 93-632 to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to continue to provide for the maintenance of 18 concrete 
dams and weirs that were located in the Emigrant Wilderness at the time 
the wilderness area was designated as wilderness in that Public Law; 
and H.R. 1944, Warner Canyon Ski Hill Land Exchange Act of 1997. 
Testimony was heard from Lyle Laverty, Director, Recreation, Heritage 
and Wilderness Resources, Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--FEDERAL VS. STATE MANAGEMENT OF PARKS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held an oversight hearing on Federal vs. State Management of Parks. 
Testimony was heard from Kenneth B. Jones, Deputy Director, Park 
Stewardship, Department of Parks and Recreation, State of California; 
and a public witness.
WILL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS BE READY FOR THE YEAR 2000?
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology and the Subcommittee 
on Government Management, Information and Technology of the Committee 
on Government Reform and Oversight held a joint hearing on Will Federal 
Government Computers Be Ready for the Year 2000? Testimony was heard 
from Sally Katzen, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, OMB; Joel Willemssen, Director, Accounting and Information 
Management Division, GAO; Alvin M. Pesachowitz, Vice Chair, Chief 
Information Officers Council, Chief Information Officer, EPA; Katherine 
Adams, Chair, Interagency Year 2000 Subcommittee of the Chief 
Information Officers Council, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Systems, 
SSA; and Joe Thompson, Chief Information Officer, GSA.
CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT--IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Paperwork Reduction held a hearing on the Congressional Review Act and 
its Impact on Small Business. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; TWA 800--STATUS OF CRASH INVESTIGATION
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation approved for full Committee action the following bills: 
H.R. 2036, Aviation Insurance Reauthorization Act of 1997; and H.R. 
2005, amended, to amend title 49, United States Code, to clarify the 
application of the act popularly known as the Death on the High Seas 
Act to aviation incidents.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the status 
of the Investigation of the Crash of the TWA 800 and on H.R. 2005. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives McDade, Ehrlich, Delahunt, 
Rothman, Roukema, Maloney of Connecticut and Forbes; James E. Hall, 
Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; James K. Kallstrom, 
Assistant Director in Charge, New York

[[Page D733]]

Office, FBI, Department of Justice; Guy S. Gardner, Associate 
Administrator, Regulation and Certification, FAA, Department of 
Transportation; and public witnesses.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION AND APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION 
REAUTHORIZATIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Public 
Buildings and Economic Development held a hearing on the 
Reauthorization of the Economic Development Administration and the 
Appalachian Regional Commission. Testimony was heard from Jesse White, 
Cochairman, Appalachian Regional Commission; Cecil H. Underwood, 
Governor, State of West Virginia; and Phillip A. Singerman, Assistant 
Secretary, Economic Development, Economic Development Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS--MEDICAL PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs medical programs, to 
include consideration of pending proposals. Testimony was heard from 
Bernice Steinhardt, Director, Health Services Quality and Public Health 
Issues, GAO; and the following officials of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs: John Ogden, Chief Consultant, Pharmacy Benefits Management 
Strategic Health Group; and Thomas Garthwaite, M.D., Deputy Under 
Secretary, Health.
FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security continued 
hearings on The Future of Social Security for this Generation and the 
Next. Testimony was heard from Senator Gregg; Representatives Stenholm, 
Kolbe, DeFazio, Nadler, Sanders, Ehlers, Eddie Bernice Johnson of 
Texas, Deutsch, Pomeroy, Smith of Michigan, Burton of Indiana, Miller 
of Florida, Filner, Petri, Graham, Neumann, Sanford and Kucinich; and 
public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
TONGASS LAND MANAGEMENT
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
concluded 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, after receiving testimony from Phil 
Janik, Alaska Regional Forester, Forest Service, Department of 
Agriculture; and David B. Allen, Alaska Regional Director, United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
BUDGET RECONCILIATION
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 2015, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to 
subsections (b)(1) and (c) of section 105 of the concurrent resolution 
on the budget for fiscal year 1998, but did not complete action 
thereon, and recessed subject to call.