[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D953-D954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EPA'S NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review EPA's National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards and the potential effects on U.S. 
agriculture. Testimony was heard from Representatives Dingell and 
Klink; Carol M. Browner, Administrator, EPA; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL RESERVE'S PAYMENT SYSTEM
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on the Federal 
Reserve's payment system. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Federal Reserve System: Alice M. Rivlin, Vice 
Chairwoman, Board of Governors; Thomas McFarland, Manager, 
Transportation Operations; Thomas Hunt, Senior Systems Analyst and 
Charles Fazio, Transportation Analyst, all with the Interdistrict 
Transportation System, Federal Reserve of Boston; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power approved for 
full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 2472, to extend certain 
programs under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; and H.R. 2165, 
to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act applicable to the 
construction of FERC Project Number 3862 in the State of Iowa.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 2472. 
Testimony was heard from Elizabeth Anne Moler, Deputy Secretary, 
Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
CHARTER SCHOOLS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth and Families held a hearing on Charter Schools. 
Testimony was heard from Cornelia Blanchette, Associate Director, 
Education and Employment Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Approved the following: Committee on 
Science Reserve Fund Request; Information Security Policy; and Pension 
Forfeiture.
FAST TRACK LEGISLATION
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on Fast Track: On Course or 
Derailed? Necessary or Not? Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2281, WIPO 
Copyright Treaties Implementation Act; and H.R. 2180, On-Line Copyright 
Liability Limitation Act. Testimony was heard from Bruce Lehman, 
Assistant Secretary and Commissioner, Patents and Trademarks, 
Department of Commerce; Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, 
Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
OVERSIGHT--FOREST SERVICE APPOINTMENT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on the implications to public domain national 
forests should a measure be enacted to require the appointment of the 
Chief of the Forest Service by the President, by

[[Page D954]]

and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Testimony was heard from 
James R. Lyons, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, 
USDA; and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 351, to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to make appropriate improvements to a county 
road located in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and to prohibit 
construction of a scenic shoreline drive in that national lakeshore; 
H.R. 1714, to provide for the acquisition of the Plains Railroad Depot 
at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site; H.R. 2136, to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to convey, at fair market value, certain 
properties in Clark County, Nevada, to persons who purchased adjacent 
properties in good faith reliance on land surveys that were 
subsequently determined to be inaccurate; and H.R. 2283, Arches 
National Park Expansion Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Stupak, Bishop and Cannon; the following officials of 
the Department of the Interior: Mat Millenbach, Deputy Director, Bureau 
of Land Management; and Denis Galvin, Deputy Director, National Park 
Service; Ed Norton, Vice President, Law and Public Policy, National 
Trust for Historic Preservation; and a public witness.
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON RESTRUCTURING THE IRS
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing to examine the 
recommendations of the National Commission on Restructuring the IRS 
with regard to Executive Branch governance and Congressional oversight 
of IRS. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
National Commission on Restructuring the IRS: Senators Kerrey, Co-
Chair; and Grassley, Commissioner; Representative Portman, Co-Chair; 
Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., Josh S. Weston and James W. Wetzler, all 
Commissioners; Representatives Cardin, Coyne and Hoyer; Robert A. 
Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.

Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--DEFENSE
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 2266, making appropriations for the Department 
of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, but did not 
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
AUTHORIZATION--INTELLIGENCE
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate-and House-passed versions of S. 858, to authorize funds for 
fiscal year 1998 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities 
of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and 
the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System.