[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 15, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D759-D760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing on Review of Wildfire 
Management in the United States. Testimony was heard from Joan Comanor, 
Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, Forest Service, USDA; Richard 
A. Wilson, Forester, Department of Forestry, State of California; James 
B. Hull, Forester, Forest Service, State of Texas; James Johnson, 
Forester, Department of Conservation, State of Missouri; and public 
witnesses.
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services approved for full Committee action the Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on the Economic and Environmental Impact of the Proposed International 
Global Climate Change Agreement. Testimony was heard from Timothy E. 
Wirth, Under Secretary, Global Affairs, Department of State; and Janet 
Yellen, Chair, Council of Economic Advisors.
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Postsecondary 
Education, Training and Life-Long Learning continued hearings on H.R. 
6, Higher Education Amendments of 1997, with emphasis on the Education 
of the Deaf Act and Title V of the Higher Education Act. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Education: 
Judith Heumann, Assistant Secretary; I. King Jordan, President, 
Gallaudet University; and Therese Knecht Dozier, Special Advisor on 
Teaching; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue July 17.
IMPACT OF RADIO ON AFRICAN DEMOCRACY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa and the 
Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights held a joint 
hearing on Impact of Radio on African Democracy. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the International Broadcasting Bureau, 
U.S. Information Agency: Kevin Klose, Director; and Evelyn Lieberman, 
Director, Voice of America; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; OVERSIGHT--INSTITUTIONAL HEARING PROGRAM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 1109, to 
amend the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 
to eliminate the special transition rule for issuance of a certificate 
of citizenship for certain children born outside the United States; 
H.R. 1348, Expanded War Crimes Act of 1997; and H.R. 2027, to provide 
for the revision of the requirements for a Canadian border boat landing 
permit pursuant to section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 
and to require the Attorney General to report to the Congress on the 
impact of such revision.
  The Subcommittee approved a motion to request a report on a private 
immigration bill.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on the Institutional 
Hearing Program. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Administration of Justices Issues Division, GAO: Norman J. Rabkin, 
Director; Evi Rezmovic, Assistant Director; Jay Jennings and Fred 
Berry, both Senior Evaluators; the following officials of the 
Department of Justice: Paul Virtue, Executive Associate Commissioner, 
Programs and Lydia St. John-Mellado, IHP Coordinator, both with the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service; Michael J. Creppy, Chief 
Immigration Judge and Michael C. McGoings, Assistant Chief Immigration 
Judge, both with the Executive Office for Immigration Review; John L. 
Clark, Assistant Director, Community Corrections and Detention and 
James Zangs, Administrator, Detention Services Branch, both with the 
Bureau of Prisons; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL REGARDING AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS 
INITIATIVE
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on the 
Administration's Proposal regarding the American Heritage Rivers 
Initiative. Testimony was heard from Kathleen A. McGinty, Chair, 
Council on Environmental Quality; Bruce Babbit, Secretary of the 
Interior; and Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FY 1998.
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, a modified open rule on 
H.R. 2159, making appropriations for foreign operations, export 
financing, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 
30,

[[Page D760]]

1998, providing one hour of general debate equally divided between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives points of order against consideration 
of the bill for failure to comply with clause 7 of Rule XXI (relating 
to the 3-day availability of published hearings) or clause 2(1)(6) of 
Rule XI (relating to the 3-day availability of the report). The rule 
waives points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to 
comply with clause 2 of Rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations and legislating on an appropriations bill), and clause 6 
of Rule XXI (prohibiting certain transfers of funds), except as 
specified in the resolution. The rule provides for consideration of the 
amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules, to be 
offered only by a Member designated in the report and only at the 
appropriate point in the reading of the bill, shall be considered as 
read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be 
subject to amendment except as specified in the report, and shall not 
be subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House or 
in the Committee of the Whole and waives points of order against the 
amendments. The rule provides that no other amendment shall be in order 
unless that amendment has been pre-printed in the Congressional Record. 
The rule grants the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole the 
authority to postpone votes and reduce voting time to 5 minutes 
provided that the first vote in a series is not less than 15 minutes. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Callahan, 
Gilman, Hyde, Smith of New Jersey, Saxton, Cox of California, Pelosi, 
and McGovern.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH FEDERAL 
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing on 
Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities Through Federal 
Technology Transfer. Testimony was from Katherine Seelman, Director, 
National Institute of Rehabilitation and Research, Department of 
Education; C. Dan Brand, Chairman, Federal Laboratory Consortium for 
Technology Transfer, Associate Director, Technology Advancement, FDA/
National Center for Toxicological Research, Department of Health and 
Human Services; Bruce Webbon, Chief, Commercial Technology, Ames 
Research Center, NASA; and public witnesses.
DOES EX-IM HELP SMALL BUSINESS EXPORTERS?
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports 
held a hearing on Does Ex-Im Help Small Business Exporters? Testimony 
was heard from James A. Harmon, President and Chairman, Export-Import 
Bank; and public witnesses.
MFN TREATMENT--PRODUCTS OF MONGOLIA AND LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC 
REPUBLIC
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade approved for full 
Committee action the following bills: H.R. 2133, to authorize the 
extension of nondiscriminatory treatment--most-favored-nation 
treatment--to the products of Mongolia; and H.R. 2132, to extend 
nondiscriminatory treatment--most-favored-nation treatment--to the 
products of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.