[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D849-D850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Began markup of the Treasury, Postal 
Service, and General Government appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
  Committee recessed subject to call.
OVERSIGHT--GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held an oversight hearing 
on the Government Performance and Results Act. Testimony was heard from 
Andrew C. Hove, Acting Chairman, FDIC; Shirlee P. Bowne, Vice Chairman, 
National Credit Union Administration; the following officials of the 
Department of the Treasury: Eugene A. Ludwig, Comptroller; and Nicolas 
P. Retsinas, Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Alice M. Rivlin, 
Vice Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; Thomas J. 
McCool, Economist/Associate Director, GAO; and public witnesses.
ENERGY DEPARTMENT WASTE-SITE CLEAN-UP CONTRACTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
concluded hearings 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 the following officials of the Department 
of Energy: Federico F. Pena, Secretary; and John M. Wilcynski, Manager, 
Operations Office; and public witnesses.
VIDEO COMPETITION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on Video Competition: The Status of 
Competition Among Video Delivery Systems. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENTS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Postsecondary 
Education, Training and Life-Long Learning concluded hearings on H.R. 
6, the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, with emphasis on System 
Modernization efforts at the Department of Education and Accreditation. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Education: David Longanecker, Assistant Secretary; and Thomas Bloom, 
Inspector General; Joel C. Willemssen, Director, Information Resources 
Management Accounting and Information Management Division, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology held an oversight 
hearing of Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Holden, Mink of Hawaii, Hinchey, Hunter, and Redmond; 
Sally Katzen, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, OMB; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--STATISTICAL PROPOSALS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology held an oversight 
hearing of Statistical Proposals. Testimony was heard from Sally 
Katzen, Administrator, Office of Information and

[[Page D850]]

Regulatory Affairs, OMB; Edward J. Sondik, Director, National Center 
for Health Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services; Jay 
Hakes, Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--EPA's RULEMAKING NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held an oversight hearing on the EPA's rulemaking on 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter and 
Ozone. Testimony was heard from Representatives Upton, Boucher, Klink, 
and Kucinich; Fred Hansen, Deputy Administrator, EPA; Richard L. 
Russman, Senator, State of New Hampshire; and public witnesses.
QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW--RESERVE COMPONENT ISSUES
  Committee on National Security, Subcommittee on Military Personnel 
held a hearing on Reserve Component issues resulting from the 
Quadrennial Defense Review. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Edward L. Warner, Assistant 
Secretary, Strategy and Requirements; William J. Lynn, Director, 
Program Analysis and Evaluation; Lt. Gen. David J. McCloud, USAF, 
Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessments, Joint Staff, 
Joints Chiefs of Staff; Sara E. Liser, Assistant Secretary, Army, 
Manpower and Reserve Affairs; Maj. Gen. William Navas, USA, 
Director, Army National Guard; Gen. Ronald Griffith, USA, Vice Chief 
of Staff, Army; Maj. Gen. Max Baratz, USA, Chief, Army Reserve; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power approved for 
full Committee action amended the following bills: H.R. 2007, to amend 
the Act that authorized the Canadian River reclamation project, Texas, 
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow use of the project 
distribution system to transport water from sources other than the 
project; and H.R. 134, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
provide a loan guarantee to the Olivenhain water storage project.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 2007. 
Testimony was heard from David Cottingham, Counselor to the Assistant 
Secretary, Water and Science, Department of the Interior; and John C. 
Williams, General Manager, Canadian River Municipal Water Authority.
EXPEDITED PROCEDURES
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving clause 4(b) 
of rule XI (requiring a 2/3 vote to consider a rule on the same day it 
is reported from the Committee on Rules) providing for consideration of 
specified measures. The waiver applies to rules for the Conference 
Report on H.R. 2015, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, an amendment 
thereto, a conference report thereon, or an amendment reported in 
disagreement from a conference thereon reported before August 3, 1997; 
and for the Conference Report on H.R. 2014, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 
1997, an amendment thereto, a conference report thereon, or an 
amendment reported in disagreement from a conference thereon reported 
after July 30, 1997, and before August 3, 1997.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 1903, 
amended, Computer Security Enhancement Act of 1997: H.R. 922, amended, 
Human Cloning Research Prohibition Act of 1997; and H.R. 2249, to 
reauthorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards 
Reduction Act of 1997 for fiscal years 1998 and 1999.

Joint Meetings
FOREIGN AFFAIRS REFORM
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 1757, to consolidate international affairs 
agencies and to authorize funds for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the 
Department of State and related agencies, but did not complete action 
thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
REVENUE RECONCILIATION
Conferees on Monday, July 28, agreed to file a conference report on the 
differences between the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 2014, 
to provide for reconciliation pursuant to subsections (b)(2) and (d) of 
section 105 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 
1998.