[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D963-D964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FORAGE IMPROVEMENT LEGISLATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review forage improvement legislation. Testimony was 
heard from Michael Dombeck, Chief, Forest Service, USDA; Maitland 
Sharp, Assistant Director, Renewable Resource and Planning, Bureau of 
Land Management, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia 
approved for full Committee action the District of Columbia 
appropriations for fiscal year 1998.
FHA MULTIFAMILY RESTRUCTURING--TAX CONSEQUENCES
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing 
and Community Opportunity held a hearing on Tax Consequences of FHA 
Multifamily Restructuring. Testimony was heard from Kenneth J. Kies, 
Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment approved 
for full Committee action amended the following bills: H.R. 1411, Drug 
and Biological Products Modernization Act of 1997; H.R. 2469, Food and 
Nutrition Information Reform Act; and H.R. 1710, Medical Device 
Regulatory Modernization Act of 1997.
ASIA-U.S. DEMOCRACY PROGRAM PROMOTIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on U.S. Democracy Program Promotions in Asia. 
Testimony was heard from John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary, Democracy, 
Human Rights and Labor, Department of State; and public witnesses.
OVERVIEW--U.S. POLICY TOWARD MEXICO AND CANADA
Committee on International Relations; Subcommittee on Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on an Overview of U.S. Policy toward Mexico 
and Canada. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1544, amended, Federal Agency Compliance Act; H.R. 2440, to make 
technical amendments to section 10 of title 9, United States Code; and 
H.R. 2464, amended, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
exempt international adopted children under age 10 from the 
immunization requirement.
COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property concluded hearings 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 public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following measures: H. 
Con. Res. 131, amended, expressing

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the sense of Congress regarding the ocean; H.R. 134, amended, to 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide a loan guarantee to 
the Olivenhain water storage project; H.R. 512, New Wildlife Refuge 
Authorization Act; H.R. 1476, Miccosukee Settlement Act of 1997; H.R. 
1805, Auburn Indian Restoration Amendment Act; H.R. 1849, amended, 
Oklahoma City National Memorial Act of 1997; H.R. 2007, amended, 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; H.R. 2233, amended, Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1997; 
and H.R. 2314, Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma Federal Indian Services 
Restoration Act of 1997.
HOUSE ETHICS REFORM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 5 to 3, a modified 
closed rule on H. Res. 168, to implement the recommendations of the 
bipartisan House Ethics Reform Task Force, providing one hour of 
general debate equally divided between Representative Livingston and 
Representative Cardin. The rule provides that no amendments will be in 
order except those printed in the Rules Committee report, which may be 
considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only 
by a member designated in the report, will be debatable for the time 
specified in the report, and will not be subject to amendment. Finally, 
the rule provides one motion to recommit. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Livingston, Dreier, Shays, Hostettler, Cardin, Pelosi, 
Hamilton, Menendez and Barrett of Wisconsin.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science: Ordered reported amended the following bills: 
H.R. 2429, to reauthorize the Small Business Technology Transfer 
Program through fiscal year 2000; and H.R. 860, Surface Transportation 
Research and Development Act of 1997.
OSHA'S PROPOSED REVISION--INJURY AND ILLNESS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on OSHA's proposed revision 
on occupational injury and illness recording and reporting 
requirements. Testimony was heard from Greg Watchman, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Labor; and 
public witnesses.
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON RESTRUCTURING THE IRS
Committee on Ways and Means: Concluded hearings 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 former officials of the 
IRS, Department of the Treasury: Donald C. Alexander and Sheldon S. 
Cohen, both Commissioners; and C. Morgan Kinghorn, Chief Financial 
Officer; Kenneth J. Kies, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; 
and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--AGRICULTURE
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 2160, making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 1998.
APPROPRIATIONS--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 2209, making 
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1998.