[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D868-D869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FOOD SECURITY IN AFRICA
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
hearings on proposed legislation to enhance African food security and 
increase U.S. exports by stimulating a new trade and development 
relationship between the United States and Africa, and on provisions of 
S. 778, to authorize a new trade and investment policy for sub-Saharan 
African countries, after receiving testimony from Lawrence H. Summers, 
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury; Derek Hanekom, South Africa Minister 
of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Pretoria; Edith G. Ssempala, Republic 
of Uganda Ambassador to the United States; Norman E. Borlaug, Sasakawa-
Global 2000, Mexico City, Mexico; Ernie Micek, Cargill, Incorporated, 
Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Joseph C. Kennedy, AFRICARE, Washington, 
D.C.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably reported S. 1026, authorizing funds for the Export-Import 
Bank of the United States, with amendments.
NATIONAL PARKS OVERFLIGHTS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held 
hearings on S. 268, to promote air safety and restore or preserve 
natural quiet in national parks by establishing minimum flight 
altitudes and prohibiting overflights below such minimum altitudes in 
any national park, receiving testimony from Senators Akaka and Allard; 
Representatives Mink and Gibbons; Louise E. Maillett, Acting 
Administrator for Policy, Planning and International Aviation, Federal 
Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation; Destry Jarvis, 
Assistant Director, External Affairs, National Park Service, Department 
of the Interior; Tom Robinson, Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, Arizona; 
Phil Pearl, National Parks and Conservation Association, Washington, 
D.C.; James Petty, Air Vegas Airlines, Henderson, Nevada, on behalf of 
the United States Air Tour Association and the Grand Canyon Air Tour 
Council; Richard L. Larew, Era Aviation, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska; and 
Frank L. Jensen, Jr., Helicopter Association International, Alexandria, 
Virginia.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
FOREST SERVICE ALASKA REGION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held oversight 
hearings to examine the organizational structure, staffing, and budget 
for implementation of the Tongass Land Management Plan and the 
management of programs under the jurisdiction of the Alaska region of 
the Forest Service, receiving testimony from Ronald E. Stewart, Acting 
Associate Chief, and Phil Janik, Regional Forester (Juneau, Alaska), 
both of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nominations of James H. Atkins, of Arkansas, to be a Member of the 
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Janice R. Lachance, of 
Virginia, to be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management, 
and George A. Omas, of Mississippi, to be a Commissioner of the Postal 
Rate Commission.
CAMPAIGN FINANCING INVESTIGATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee continued hearings to 
examine certain matters with regard to the committee's special 
investigation on campaign financing, receiving testimony from Terry 
Lenzner and Loren Berger, both of the Investigative Group, 
Incorporated, Washington, D.C.; and Zhi Hua Dong, Ching Hai Meditation 
Society, Brooklyn, New York.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 53, to require the general application of the antitrust laws to 
major league baseball, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; 
and

[[Page D869]]


  The nominations of Frank M. Hull, of Georgia, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit, Robert Charles Chambers, to be 
United States District Judge for the Southern District of West 
Virginia, Janet C. Hall and Christopher Droney, each to be a United 
States District Judge for the District of Connecticut, Joseph F. 
Bataillon, to be United States District Judge for the District of 
Nebraska, Sophia H. Hall, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the State Justice Institute, James Allan Hurd Jr., to be 
United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, and 
Sharon J. Zealey, to be United States Attorney for the Southern 
District of Ohio.
REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration concluded 
hearings to examine the President's proposed annual refugee admissions 
and allocation for fiscal year 1998, after receiving testimony from 
Phyllis Oakley, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugee and 
Migration, Department of State; Joseph Cuddihy, Acting Associate 
Commissioner for Field Operations, Immigration and Naturalization 
Service, Department of Justice; Lavinia Limon, Director of Office of 
Refugee Resettlement, Department of Health and Human Services; 
Elizabeth Ferris, Committee on Migration and Refugee Affairs/
InterAction, and John Fredriksson, Immigration and Refugee Services of 
America/U.S. Committee for Refugees, both of Washington, D.C.; Norman 
D. Tilles, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, New York, New York; and Amela 
Sutovic and Khuong Le, both former refugees.
SENATE FLOOR ACCESS/SENATE ELECTION
(Correction to Page D869)
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following resolution:
  S. Res. 110, to permit an individual with a disability access to the 
Senate floor to bring necessary supporting aids and services; and the 
Committee favorably adopted the following motion:
  Passed by the Committee, July 31, 1997.
COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION--COMMITTEE MOTION
  The Committee hereby authorizes the Chairman to continue the 
investigation of the 1996 election for United States Senator from 
Louisiana authorized by the Committee Motion of April 17, 1997;
  The Committee further hereby authorizes the Chairman to request the 
United States Attorney General to detail to the Committee six 
investigative agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and to 
hire other investigators, including retired FBI agents, as employees of 
the Committee;
  The Committee further hereby finds that this investigation is 
directly related to campaign reform and authorizes the Chairman to use 
the majority's share of the $450,000 authorized by S. Res. 39 for the 
purposes of this investigation;
  The Committee further hereby authorizes the Chairman, in his 
discretion, to cooperate with the Department of Justice, the East Baton 
Rouge District Attorney, and other investigative authorities;
  The Committee further hereby authorizes the Chairman, in his 
discretion, to establish procedures permitting controlled access to 
Committee documents related to this investigation, ensuring that the 
minority's rights to access Committee documents are protected under 
Senate Rules;
  The Committee further hereby authorizes the Chairman, in his 
discretion, to designate as confidential, pursuant to Standing Rule 29 
of the Senate, Committee documents and information related to this 
investigation;
  The Committee further hereby determines that the hearings conducted 
as part of this investigation, during which testimony is to be taken 
from witnesses, shall be closed pursuant to Standing Rule 26(b)(3);
  The Committee further hereby amends the Committee Motion passed on 
April 17:
  1. By substituting the following for section A, titled ``Full 
Committee subpoenas'';
  A. Subpoenas: The Chairman is authorized to issue subpoenas, with 
notice to the Ranking Member, to any individual, organization, 
corporation, or other entity who has or is believed to have, documents 
or other information related to the Committee's investigation;
  2. By substituting the following for section E, titled ``Full 
Committee depositions'';
  E. Depositions: Sworn testimony shall be taken at a closed hearing, 
in accordance with Senate and Committee rules.
  3. By deleting the last sentence of section F, titled ``Interviews 
and General Inquiry'';
  And the Committee further hereby states that sections B, C, D, G, H 
and the unamended portion of section F of the Committee Motion, passed 
by the Committee on April 17, 1997, remain in effect regarding this 
investigation.''