[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D872-D873]
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: Ordered reported the Treasury, Postal 
Service, and General Government appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power approved for 
full Committee action amended H.R. 1270, Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 
1997.
LITERACY: A REVIEW OF CURRENT FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing on ``Literacy: 
A Review of Current Federal Programs''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FEDERAL RETIREMENT--AGENCY MISTAKES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service held a hearing on ``Agency Mistakes in Federal Retirement: Who 
Pays the Price?'' Testimony was heard from William E. Flynn, Associate 
Director, Retirement and Insurance Service, OPM; Diane Disney, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Civilian Personnel, Department of Defense; from 
the following officials of the Department of the Treasury: Linda Oakey-
Hemphill, Agency Retirement Counselor; and Sarah Hall-Ingram, Associate 
Chief Counsel, Employee Benefits/Exempt Organizations, IRS.
FDA OVERSIGHT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources held an oversight hearing on ``FDA Oversight: Blood Safety 
and the Implications of Pool Sizes in the Manufacture of Plasma 
Derivatives''. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: David Satcher, M.D., Director, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Paul W. Brown, M.D., Senior 
Research Scientist, Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies, 
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH; and 
Kathryn Zoon, Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, 
FDA; and public witnesses.
PRIVATE BILL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims 
approved a motion to request a report by the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service on a private bill.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held an oversight hearing on Royalty-In-Kind for Federal oil and gas 
production. Testimony was heard from Cynthia L. Quarterman, Director, 
Minerals Management Service, Department of the Interior; Jim Magagna, 
Director, Office of State Lands and Investments, Office of Federal Land 
Policy, State of Wyoming; Spencer Reid, Deputy Land Commissioner, 
General Land Office, State of Texas; David Darouse, Mineral Revenue 
Regional Auditor Supervisor, Department of Natural Resources, State of 
Louisiana; and public witnesses.

[[Page D873]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 512, New Wildlife Refuge Authorization Act of 1997; H.R. 
1856, amended, Volunteers for Wildlife Act of 1997; and H.R. 2233, 
Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1997.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 1787, the Asian Elephant 
Conservation Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Marshall P. Jones, 
Assistant Director, International Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health 
oversight hearing on Forest Service Strategic Plan under the Government 
Performance and Results Act. Testimony was heard from Barry Hill, 
Associate Director, Energy, Resources and Science Issues, Resources, 
Community and Economic Development Division, GAO; and the following 
officials of the USDA: James R. Lyons, Under Secretary, Natural 
Resources and Environment; and Francis Pandolsi, Chief of Staff, Forest 
Service.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
approved for full Committee action amended the following bills: H.R. 
1567, to provide for the designation of additional wilderness lands in 
the eastern United States; H.R. 136, to amend the National Parks and 
Recreation Act of 1978 to designate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas 
Wilderness and to amend the Everglades National Park Protection and 
Expansion Act of 1989 to designate the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center; 
and H.R. 708 to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
study concerning grazing use of certain lands within and adjacent to 
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, and to extend temporarily certain 
grazing privileges.
CONFERENCE REPORT--TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 2014, Taxpayer 
Relief Act of 1997, and against its consideration and provides that the 
conference report shall be considered as read. The rule provides two 
hours and thirty minutes of debate equally divided and controlled 
between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Ways and Means. Testimony was heard from Chairman Archer and 
Representative Rangel.
ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS EXTENSION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a 
hearing on S. 417, to extend energy conservation programs under the 
Energy Policy and the Conservation Act through September 30, 2002. 
Testimony was heard from Allan R. Hoffman, Acting Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Office of Utility Technologies, Department of Energy; and 
public witnesses.
U.S. AND FRANCE--AVIATION RELATIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Aviation Relations between the U.S. and 
France. Testimony was heard from Representative Klink; Charles 
Hunnicut, Assistant Secretary, Aviation and International Affairs, 
Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.