[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D991-D992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FAST TRACK AUTHORITY
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities held 
a hearing to review fast track authority. Testimony was heard from 
Jeffrey Lang, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; August Schumacher, Jr., 
Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA; and 
public witnesses.
BUDGET ALLOCATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Approved revised Section 302(b) budget 
allocations for fiscal year 1998.
INVESTIGATIVE DRUGS--SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on Adequacy of Access to Investigative Drugs for 
Seriously Ill Patients. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
NLRB REVIEW
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations held a hearing on Review of the National Labor 
Relations Board. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PROTECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS--STATE APPROACHES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on State Approaches to Protecting Private Property Rights. 
Testimony was heard from Richard Russman, Senator, State of New 
Hampshire; Chip Campsen, Representative, State of South Carolina; and 
public witnesses.
COMMUNITY PROTECTION AND HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION ACT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on H.R. 2458, Community Protection and Hazardous Fuels 
Reduction Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Robert Joslin, Deputy 
Chief, National Forest Systems, Forest Service, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--DRAIN LAKE POWELL
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
and the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a joint oversight hearing 
on the proposal to drain Lake Powell or reduce its water storage 
capability. Testimony was heard from Eluid L. Martinez, Commissioner, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Michael S. 
Hacskaylo, Acting Administrator, Western Area Power Administration, 
Department of Energy; Ted Stewart, Executive Director, Department of 
Natural Resources, State of Utah; Rita P. Pearson, Director, Department 
of Water Resources, State of Arizona; Jim Lochhead, Executive Director, 
Department of Natural Resources, State of Colorado; and public 
witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule on H.R. 2267, 
making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and 
State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1998, providing one hour of general debate equally 
divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations. The rule provides for the adoption of the 
amendment printed in part 1 of the Rules Committee report. The rule 
waives points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, for 
failure to comply with clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations and legislative provisions in an appropriations bill) 
and clause 6 (prohibiting reappropriations in an appropriations bill) 
of rule XXI. The rule provides for, prior to the consideration of any 
other amendment, the consideration of the amendment numbered 1 in part 
2 of the Rules Committee report, if offered by the Member designated in 
the report which may amend portions of the bill not yet read for 
amendment. The rule provides for consideration of the amendments 
printed in part 2 of the Rules Committee report, except for the 
amendment numbered 1, which may only be offered by a Member designated 
in the report and only at the appropriate point in the reading of the 
bill, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time 
specified and shall not be subject to further amendment or to a demand 
for a division of the question. The rule waives all points of order 
against the amendment numbered 2 in part 2 of the Rules Committee 
report. The rule waives points of order against the amendments numbered 
1 and 3 in part 2 of the Rules Committee report for failure to comply 
with clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized appropriations and legislative 
provisions in an appropriations bill)

[[Page D992]]

of rule XXI. The rule permits the Chairman of the Committee of the 
Whole to accord priority in recognition to those Members who have pre-
printed their amendments in the Congressional Record prior to their 
consideration. The rule also allows the Chairman to postpone recorded 
votes and to reduce to five minutes the voting time on any postponed 
question, provided voting time on the first in any series of questions 
is not less than 15 minutes. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit, with or without instructions.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote a rule waiving all points of 
order against the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 2209, making 
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1998, and against its consideration. Testimony was heard 
from Representatives Walsh and Serrano.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported amended the following 
bills: H.R. 2513, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore 
and modify the provision of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 relating to 
exempting active financing income from foreign personal holding company 
income and to provide for the nonrecognition of gain on the sale of 
stock in agricultural processors to certain farmers' cooperatives; and 
H.R. 2487, Child Support Incentive Act of 1997.

Joint Meetings
AMERICAN LEGION
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and the House 
Committee on Veterans Affairs concluded joint hearings to review the 
legislative recommendations of the American Legion, after receiving 
testimony from Anthony G. Jordan, American Legion, Washington, D.C.