[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 108 (Monday, July 28, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Page D839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
ENERGY DEPARTMENT WASTE-SITE CLEAN-UP CONTRACTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on the Department of Energy's Implementation of Contract 
Reform: Problems with the Fixed-Price Contract to Clean Up Pit 9. 
Testimony was heard from Victor S. Rezendes, Director, Energy, 
Resources, and Science Issues, Resources, Community, and Economic 
Development Division, GAO; Randall F. Smith, Director, Office of 
Environmental Cleanup for Region 10, EPA; and Kathleen E. Trever, 
Coordinator-Manager, INEEL Oversight Program, Division of Environmental 
Quality, State of Idaho.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: The committee granted, by voice vote, an open rule 
on H.R. 2266, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for 
the fiscal year ending September 30, 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 2(I)(6) of rule XI (the 3-day requirement for availability 
of the report), clause 7 of rule XXI (the 3-day requirement for 
availability of printed hearings on appropriations bills), or section 
306 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (prohibiting consideration 
of bills containing matters within the jurisdiction of the Committee on 
the Budget which have not been reported by the Budget Committee). The 
rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill which do not 
comply with clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations and legislation on general appropriations bills) and 
clause 6 of rule XXI (prohibiting transfers of unobligated balances). 
The rule provides for priority in recognition for those amendments that 
are pre-printed in the Congressional Record. The rule provides that the 
chairman of the Committee of the Whole may postpone votes on any 
amendment and that the chairman may reduce voting time on postponed 
questions to 5 minutes, provided that the voting time on the first in a 
series of questions is not less than 15 minutes. Finally, the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Young of Florida, Smith of New Jersey, 
and Murtha.
LABOR, HHS, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: The committee granted, by voice vote, an open rule 
on H.R. 2264, making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, providing one hour of general 
debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule waives clause 6 
(prohibiting reappropriations in an appropriations bill) of rule XXI 
against provisions in the bill and clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting 
unauthorized and legislative provisions in an appropriations bill) 
against provisions in the bill except as otherwise specified in the 
rule. The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the 
report of the Committee on Rules which may only be offered by the 
Member designated, shall be considered as read, shall not be subject to 
amendment except as specified in the report and except pro forma 
amendments offered for the purpose of debate, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for a division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. All points of order against the amendments are 
waived. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition 
to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule allows for 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 waives clause 2(e) of rule XXI (prohibiting non-
emergency amendments to be offered to a bill containing an emergency 
designation under the Budget Act) against amendments to the bill. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Porter, Hyde, 
Goodling, Istook, Manzullo, Riggs, Obey, and Lowey.
COMPUTER SECURITY ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology approved for full 
Committee action amended H.R. 1903, Computer Security Enhancement Act 
of 1997.