[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D798-D800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH--REAUTHORIZATION PROPOSALS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Forestry, Resource 
Conservation, and Research held a hearing on reauthorization proposals 
in agricultural research. Testimony was heard from Bob Robinson, 
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
DEFENSE; LABOR, HHS, AND EDUCATION; AND COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND 
JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the following 
appropriations for fiscal year 1998: Defense; Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education; and Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary.
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, 
and General Government began markup of the Treasury, Postal Service, 
and General Government appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on the Conduct of 
Monetary Policy. Testimony was heard from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, 
Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENTS
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 1998. Testimony was heard from David 
Longanecker, Assistant Secretary, Department of Education; and public 
witnesses.
SECURITY AND FREEDOM THROUGH ENCRYPTION (SAFE) ACT
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported amended H.R. 
695, Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act.
  The Committee also approved a motion to authorize the Chairman to 
make motions on the House Floor under Rule XX, relative to H.R. 1757, 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years l998 and 1999, and 
European Security Act of 1997.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT--RESTORING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on H.J. Res. 78, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of 
the United States restoring religious freedom. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Istook, Edwards, Campbell, Capps and Bishop; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held a hearing on the 
following: H.R. 218, Community Protection Act of 1997; H.R. 339, to 
amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a national standard in 
accordance with which nonresidents of a State may carry certain 
concealed firearms in the State, and to exempt qualified current and 
former law enforcement officers from State laws prohibiting the 
carrying of concealed handguns; and the Law Enforcement and Community 
Protection Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Readiness held 
a hearing on the operation and maintenance financial management. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the GAO: Jack L. 
Brock, Director, Defense Information and Financial Management Systems; 
and Sharon Cekala, Associate Director, Military Operations and 
Capabilities; and the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Alice C. Maroni, Principal Deputy Under Secretary (Comptroller); Helen 
T. McCoy, Assistant Secretary, Army (Financial Management and 
Comptroller); D. P. Christie, Assistant Secretary, Navy (Financial 
Management and Comptroller); and Robert F. Hale, Assistant Secretary, 
Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller).
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1309, to provide for an exchange 
of lands with the city of Greeley, CO, and the Water Supply and Storage 
Co. to eliminate private inholdings in wilderness areas; and H.R. 1843, 
Local Free Access Act. Testimony was heard from Senator Allard; Robert 
C. Joslin, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest Service, USDA; 
Douglass P. Teschner, member, House of Representatives, State of New 
Hampshire; LaVere Nelson, Mayor, Greeley, Colorado; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1635, to establish within 
the United States National Park Service the National Underground 
Railroad Network to Freedom Program; H.R. 755, to amend the Internal 
Revenue

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Code of 1986 to allow individuals to designate any portion of their 
income tax overpayments, and to make other contributions for the 
benefit of units of the National Park System; H.R. 1718, to provide for 
the conveyance of certain lands in Wyoming to the County of Park, WY; 
and H.R. 708, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
study concerning grazing use of certain land within and adjacent to 
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming and to extend temporarily certain 
grazing privileges. Testimony was heard from Representatives Stokes, 
Portman, Duncan and Cubin; the following officials of the Department of 
the Interior: Denis P. Galvin, Acting Deputy Director, National Park 
Service; and Eluid L. Martinez, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; 
and public witnesses.
AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF FY 1997
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule on 
H.R. 2160, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies programs for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 1998. The rule waives clause 2 of rule 
XXI (prohibiting unauthorized and legislative provisions in an 
appropriations bill) and clause 6 of rule XXI (prohibiting 
reappropriations in an appropriations bill) against provisions in the 
bill except as otherwise specified in the rule. The rule provides that 
no further amendments shall be in order except: those amendments 
printed before July 22, 1997 in the Congressional Record; the 
amendments printed in the Congressional Record and numbered 21, 22, and 
23; and the amendment by Representative Obey pending when the Committee 
of the Whole rose on July 22, 1997. The rule provides that each 
amendment made in order shall be considered as read and shall be 
debatable for 10 minutes (except as otherwise specified in section 2 of 
the rule) equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce to five 
minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a fifteen minute 
vote. The rule also provides that after a motion that the Committee 
rise has been rejected on a day, another such motion on that day may be 
entertained only if offered by the Chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations or the Majority Leader or their designee. The rule 
provides that after a motion to strike out the enacting words of the 
bill has been rejected, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may 
not entertain another such motion during further consideration of the 
bill. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
BUDGET ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 1997
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule on H.R. 2003, 
to reform the budget process and enforce the bipartisan balanced budget 
agreement of 1997, providing one hour of debate in the House equally 
divided between Representative Barton of Texas and an opponent. The 
rule also provides one motion to recommit. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Nussle, Neumann, Bunning, Barton of Texas, Castle, 
Wamp, Minge, Tanner, Stenholm, Evans, Boyd, and Tauscher.
HUMAN CLONING RESEARCH--FEDERAL FUNDING PROHIBITION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing on the 
Prohibition of Federal Funding for Human Cloning Research. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; PROSPECTUSES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Public 
Grounds and Economic Development approved for full Committee action the 
following: H.R. 29, to designate the Federal building located at 290 
Broadway in New York, NY, as the ``Ronald H. Brown Federal Building''; 
H.R. 81, to designate the U.S. courthouse located at 401 South Michigan 
Street in South Bend, IN, as the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh United States 
Bankruptcy Courthouse''; H.R. 548, to designate the U.S. courthouse 
located at 500 Pearl Street in New York City, NY, as the ``Ted Weiss 
United States Courthouse''; H.R. 595, to designate the Federal building 
and U.S. courthouse located at 475 Mulberry Street in Macon, GA, as the 
``William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States 
Courthouse''; H.R. 613, amended, to designate the Federal building 
located at 100 Alabama Street NW, in Atlanta, GA, as the ``Sam Nunn 
Federal Center''; H.R. 643, to designate the U.S. courthouse to be 
constructed at the corner of Superior and Huron Roads, in Cleveland, 
OH, as the ``Carl B. Stokes United States Courthouse''; H.R. 824, to 
redesignate the Federal building located at 717 Madison Place, NW., in 
the District of Columbia, as the ``Howard T. Markey National Courts 
Building''; H.R. 892, amended, to redesignate the Federal building 
located at 223 Sharkey Street in Clarksdale, MS, as the ``Aaron Henry 
United States Post Office''; H.R. 962, to redesignate a Federal 
building in Suitland, MD, as the ``W. Edwards Deming Federal 
Building''; H.R. 994, to designate the U.S. border station located in 
Pharr, TX, as the ``Kika de la Garza United States Border Station''; 
H.R. 1479, amended, to designate the Federal building and U.S. 
courthouse located at 300 Northeast

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First Avenue in Miami, FL, as the ``David W. Dyer Federal Courthouse''; 
H.R. 1484, amended, to redesignate the Dublin Federal courthouse 
building located in Dublin, GA, as the ``J. Roy Rowland Federal 
Courthouse''; H.R. 1502, to designate the U.S. courthouse located at 
301 West Main Street in Benton, IL, as the ``James L. Foreman United 
States Courthouse''; H.R. 1851, to designate the U.S. courthouse 
located at 200 South Washington Street in Alexandria, VA, as the 
``Martin V.B. Bostetter, Jr., U.S. Courthouse''; H. Con. Res. 98, 
authorizing the use of the Capitol grounds for the Safe Kids Buckle Up 
Car Seat Safety Check; 5 Courthouse Design prospectuses; 2 amending 
Committee Resolutions, 3 Miscellaneous Construction Prospectuses and 2 
11(b) Resolutions.
FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
Free Trade Area of the Americas. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Kolbe, Campbell and Farr; Jeffrey Davidow, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State; 
Jeffrey M. Lang, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; JayEtta Z. Hecker, 
Associate Director, International Relations and Trade Issues, National 
Security and International Affairs Division, GAO; and public witnesses.
INFORMATION OPERATIONS BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on information operations. The Committee was briefed 
by departmental witnesses.